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The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) role is one of leadership. You’re responsible for leading the business forward and for continuous growth. Your love and dedication for the business and brand must filter through the entire company.
To lead a business and its people effectively through its highs and lows, you need certain qualities as a CEO. So here, we’ve identified five qualities you need to be a high-impact leader.
1. Authenticity
As CEO, you need to be your authentic self. If you’re not the Steve Jobs type of leader who jumps on stage shouting, “I love this company”, don’t pretend you are.
If you lead authentically, you build trust. You need to take your people on the journey with you. You may have to step out of your comfort zone to meet expectations, but your personality and values should be at the core. Coaching is a great way to learn how to step into the CEO role.
2. Vision
A CEO needs to have a vision for the company. It needs to be clear, but it also needs to be strategic. You need a 360° all-round view to make your decisions and ensure they are right for the business. Once you know your vision, you need to believe in it and convey that belief, so your people also believe in your vision.
In times of uncertainty, when the rest of the company may feel lost, you need to look above and ahead to create a hopeful path of where you are going. Looking at the company’s strategic future will help give your people direction, and consistency in your plan will help align them.
To ensure everyone is working towards your vision, you need to empower all levels of staff to make decisions that enable the business to move forward. In large companies especially, you can’t do everything. So empowering your people to make choices and decisions will help keep the company moving towards that vision.
3. Resilience
The past few years have thrown everything at a leader, Brexit, Covid, and an unsettled economy. But, as a CEO, you need the resilience to keep going and believe in your core that you will succeed.
It’s crucial to build structures and support around you to keep going and not fall apart during challenging times. As CEO, your people will look up to you, so you must exude the confidence that you will get through any challenges and instil the belief that you can.
4. Clear communication
Communication is essential in any business, especially as a CEO trying to keep everyone on the same path and in the same direction so you can deliver on the goals and objectives for the business.
As CEO, you may be trying to reach teams in different offices or countries. Getting everyone in one room is impossible, so you’ll have multiple ways to communicate, e.g. emails or video.
The key to communication is to thank them. Show appreciation for all they do. Then align them with the plan and direction for the company, and keep this clear and consistent so you can rely on your people to deliver it.
5. Creativity
Your role as CEO is to unite all levels of the business in striving towards the same goal and purpose. Being creative in your role as CEO can significantly help you understand the company and the people within it.
Don’t just sit behind your desk. Visit the teams on the ground and meet the people that make up the business. The product is what generates the revenue, but it’s the people that make a company successful.
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