Do you want to be a great CEO? Then you need to grow up and keep learning! Don’t think you have it all together now. Everyone can get better at what they do.
So, what makes a great CEO? I can tell you that it takes at least three qualities.
A Great CEO is a leader
A great CEO is someone who people can look up to and respect. People may fear you, but they may not respect you. People may love you, but they may try to walk all over you.
It is only when people respect you and want to emulate you that you know you are a great CEO.
Steve Jobs is a fitting example of a CEO who was a leader. Jobs was a powerful force at Apple. He had charisma and vision and it made people want to follow him, despite any flaws or weaknesses they may have seen.
History of Success
Because you are a leader, it is important that people see that you have a history of success. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in a business, especially if you have only recently started out, but you should have success in something.
Maybe you went through hardships growing up, or you lost a lot of weight for your health, or you were addicted to something. You grew strong, learned self-control and discipline, and decided what kind of life you wanted to live, then you made it happen.
The self-made billionaire, Li Ka- Shing knows exactly what it costs to become a success. At fifteen he had to quit school when his father died so that he could take care of his family. He worked 16 hours a day in a plastics factory until he eventually created his own company. Now he is the richest person in greater China. That is success!
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Delegates
Because you are not alone in your company, a great CEO knows how to put powerful people under him or her in very powerful positions. CEO’s know how to trust them with enough authority in their department that they can complete their tasks while maintaining checks and balances so they aren’t running too much on their own.
It is important to give your people enough rein to run their business or division while making sure that they make timely reports back to you so that you know things are running smoothly.
Being a great CEO isn’t something that just happens. It is something you need to strive for, a goal to meet, a reason to wake up in the morning and be better than you were yesterday. I definitely understand this, because I have to do it every day as well.
Push yourself. Grow. Have a teachable spirit. And if you want to learn even more about how you can become a great CEO, keep watching me. I have a lot more advice and I want to see you succeed in your business!
