Last Updated on 2024-10-11
The stakes are high at the top of the ladder. In order to survive, top CEOs need to develop certain traits to succeed. Discover the traits shared by successful CEOs in this discussion.
It sounds fancy, doesn’t it? You’re the CEO of a startup company. It sounds like a dream job that many want to achieve. But behind the title, the pressure to succeed is intense.
The demand is so high that some CEOs are stretched. There are many things to do but one’s self only has limited time and energy. And sometimes, in the midst of everything, some CEOs falter in their responsibilities.
Clearly, to become one of the top CEOs in the world, you need more insider knowledge. So, in this discussion, let’s talk about the traits to help you succeed. Let’s start by having a refresher on your role as a CEO of a startup company.
An Overview of the CEO Job Description
What does a CEO do? The chief executive officer, commonly known as the CEO, is the top executive of a company. For big corporations, the CEO is elected by its board of directors and shareholders. However, mostly in startups, the CEO is also the owner of the business. In case it’s a partnership, one of the founders will act as the chief executive officer.
The majority of CEO responsibilities entail overseeing the operations of the organization in order to grow it. CEO tasks include making corporate decisions and acting as the company representative in public. Moreover, in a startup, you also determine the values, vision, and culture of your company.
Some of the most well-known CEOs include Tim Cook of Apple, Inc. and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Inc. Although he already stepped down, Jeff Bezos was also a famous CEO of Amazon.com, Inc during his time.
And, of course, let’s not forget Steve Jobs, the founder and previous CEO of Apple, Inc. He was so influential that many documentaries were produced after his death in 2011.
9 Shared Superpowers of Top CEOs
The list of qualifications for a chief executive officer may be long. But the following traits will enrich the intrinsic qualities possessed by each high-ranking executive.
1. Great leadership skills
Be the shepherd that herds the flock into success. As a CEO, you need to have great leadership skills. Without it, nobody will follow your vision for the company.
Your people will simply drift in their own worlds, making it hard to make unified business decisions. Processes will also fall apart and most of all, company culture will suffer a setback.
So what does it take for a leader to be a great one?
- The ability to motivate people even during the toughest times
- Being focused on business goals without sacrificing employee morale
- Power to gain the trust and confidence of everyone under your wings
- The ability to delegate tasks properly
2. Highly developed decision-making skills
Top CEOs know that a wrong decision may be better than not deciding at all. Why? Because a lack of direction makes your team frustrated or second-guess every decision.
Either way, it slows down your business growth. So even with incomplete data and in unfamiliar areas, good CEOs make decisions with speed and conviction.
It doesn’t mean you have to make every decision right away. It just implies that you have to know when to move, how to implement it, and what are the consequences. And once you make the decision, make sure to press ahead with an unwavering passion to accomplish your goals.
3. Smart risk-taking mindset
You don’t have to be a descendant of Warren Buffet to have an entrepreneurial superpower. Although who wouldn’t want to inherit his business acumen, right?
But he always had a smart approach when it comes to taking risks. So as a startup business owner, you should also develop the ability to take calculated risks.
In his point of view, unforeseen opportunities can only be seized from taking leaps of faith. But to not lose your footing, you must do due diligence. Do your in-depth research, set goals, create metrics, and establish backup plans in case you need to pivot.
Lastly, don’t forget to develop foresight, so you can anticipate and navigate potential challenges ahead.
4. Great personal character
Dee Hock, founder and former CEO of Visa, once said:
“If you look to lead, invest at least 40% of your time managing yourself—your ethics, character, principles, purpose, motivation, and conduct.”
To become one of the top CEOs, you should constantly improve yourself. Develop the courage to pursue your passion and ideas with integrity. Maintain your drive and resilience to weather the storms ahead. Stay humble in spite of your achievements.
You should also understand the meaning of realistic optimism. Moreover, learn to embrace challenges as opportunities for development. And most importantly, always believe in yourself even when others think otherwise.
5. High emotional intelligence
One thing often overlooked by most CEOs is their emotional intelligence. Remember that people make success happen. And, people are naturally emotional beings. Hence, it’s vital for executives to understand and manage emotions for the greater good.
6. Excellent communication skills
Communication is a two-way street. Thus, to be a great communicator, you must possess both active listening and good speaking skills. Why? Because both are significant in creating engagement within your teams, which leads to better results.
7. Open-mindedness and a real appetite for learning
Top CEOs have the urge to learn wisdom from other people. Even more so, they learn lifelong lessons from their experiences.
So, be proactive in taking notes of all your learnings from competitors and other business owners. And, don’t forget to apply the lessons you have learned from your experiences too.
8. Ability to build relationships
As the representative of your startup, you must have excellent networking skills. It’s not only about connecting with your customers and suppliers. But, it’s also about building relationships with your teams.
Remember that positive relationships build trust and loyalty. And, both qualities are necessary to scale your business.
9. Ability to generate creative ideas
The ability to think outside-the-box solutions to common problems is a great advantage for top CEOs. For the most part, it means innovation for the company when it comes to processes. And in terms of market visibility, it means taking your competitive advantage to another level.
Uncontrollable adversities and situations can thwart a startup in an unexpected direction. But if the company leader possesses these traits, the business increases its chances of success.
So if you want to become one of the top CEOs in the world, take advantage of these notes. Try to emulate the ideas discussed here and constantly develop yourself.
Full Scale is here to help scale your business
Knowing when to outsource business services is also a good entrepreneurial trait. Hence, if you need software development services, get in touch with Full Scale today. We offer cost-effective and world-class software solutions to businesses of all sizes.
What are you waiting for? Call us for a FREE consultation now.
Matt Watson is a serial tech entrepreneur who has started four companies and had a nine-figure exit. He was the founder and CTO of VinSolutions, the #1 CRM software used in today’s automotive industry. He has over twenty years of experience working as a tech CTO and building cutting-edge SaaS solutions.
As the CEO of Full Scale, he has helped over 100 tech companies build their software services and development teams. Full Scale specializes in helping tech companies grow by augmenting their in-house teams with software development talent from the Philippines.
Matt hosts Startup Hustle, a top podcast about entrepreneurship with over 6 million downloads. He has a wealth of knowledge about startups and business from his personal experience and from interviewing hundreds of other entrepreneurs.