CEO education is a never-ending task. CEOs need continual development in order to fully realize their leadership and managerial capabilities.
Learning to be a better CEO is critical for entrepreneurs who didn’t seek to be managers but found themselves in the position due to their own ambitions. Listed below are 13 ways to undergird your authority and pursue your primary objective.
1. Be an inquisitive CEO.
For starters, learn to ask the right questions. Learn to care. Sure, there will always be a backlog of little tasks. But don’t let your to-do list control you. Develop amnesia on a daily basis by asking oneself what is most essential each day.
2. Prioritize stakeholder value.
It’s easy to get caught up in your profound love for what you do and lose sight of your role as CEO, maximizing stakeholder value. You want to make a difference for your customers, your employees, and your shareholders.
3. Tell stories consistent with an overarching company narrative.
Storytelling is the most effective technique for communicating your message. Avoid buzzwords, techie jargon, and heavy business terminology. Maintain a personable, pleasant, and amusing tone. You should try to enchant your coworkers, customers, and shareholders. People connect with tales rather than slogans.
4. Have a strong understanding of why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Consider this. Would it really matter if your company went out of business tomorrow? Whom are you serving? And why is that? Seek to make a positive impact on the world. Have a strong sense of purpose.
5. Help others get a leg up.
Provide opportunities for people to realize their ambition of becoming their own boss and starting a business from the bottom up.
6. Assume the role of CEO as gatekeeper.
Delegation isn’t the same as gatekeeping. Don’t get the two mixed up. Of course, you must be the ultimate gatekeeper in your organization. You must define and establish the standard. People may pressure you to lower your standards in order to move quicker. Stay loyal to yourself and don’t allow yourself to be sidetracked.
7. Set big objectives for yourself.
A good CEO doesn’t bother with small projects. Your coworkers may frequently advise you to “start small.” If you begin tiny, you will remain small! Begin with a large objective and a bold start. You’ll be decent at best if you set the bar low.
8. Don’t be afraid to gently push your staff.
They may protest that you often demand too much of them, but they will appreciate it in the end. There is no greater satisfaction than assisting your colleagues in achieving something they previously believed was impossible.
9. Reflect on yourself and take action.
Confidence should not be confused with self-reflection. Great CEOs are exceedingly self-aware and expect a lot from themselves. In front of your team, don’t have any doubts about yourself.
When you get home and look in the mirror, you’ll doubt yourself. Focus on what your team requires of you. You’ll remain stationary if you don’t take a step forward every day.
10. Entropy is the enemy of all good management and teamwork.
A corporate culture that stagnates under a flaccid CEO can turn vicious and disheartening. It may even become abusive. So don’t let your guard down. You’re on a steep mountain slope, always climbing up. If you stop climbing, you’ll start to slide down.
11. CEOs serve others.
As a CEO, it’s your responsibility to serve people more than they serve you. Instead of focusing on what you require from others, ask them what they require from you. Determine your customers’ needs, your team’s requirements, and your shareholders’ needs. Then assist them in making it happen.
12. A good CEO holds everyone accountable for their actions, including themselves.
At the same time, they must strive for understanding and empathy. Serving the employees of a company does not always mean rolling out a new medical plan or better 401(k). It can be something as simple as remembering people’s names and their children’s birthdays. Take a weary-looking staff member out to lunch to ask them how they’re doing. And then listen very closely to the answer.
13. Develop thicker skin.
Being the CEO of a company — especially if you’re the founder — can be a roller coaster of emotions. You will experience some really low points. Don’t allow your emotions to get the best of you. People can read you better than you realize. If they detect vulnerability and weakness, you lose power. “Don’t let the buzzards get you down” is a famous movie quote. Every CEO should have that line memorized before sitting down in the big chair. As long as your actions jibe well with your beliefs so that you can think well of yourself, you won’t care what others think of you.
