What makes you think that when you order a team of hundred people to do a certain job, they will do exactly what you say? Why do you think all of them should follow you? Why should each one of them risk their professional life on you? Even if they follow you what are the chances you are taking them on the right path?
Everyone dreams to become a leader, a successful leader. But very few strive to be the one. Learning in same school, earning the same degrees, playing the same sports, still very few of them become leader and the rest of them become followers. Every employee in a company is at the most suitable designation, if it is true, what makes a CEO to command everyone? The leadership quality is the most mandatory thing, but it takes many more qualities than that. Courage is other important thing, but for being a CEO, many other professional skills are in charged. The following are few underrated but crucial attributes required to become a CEO or to hire a CEO for the company.
Decision Maker: Every successful CEO will agree that making a decision becomes very difficult when everything depends on your words. Deciding which strategy to follow, which deal to close and what should be on the priority list, becomes a million times harder when everyone is counting on you. Handling the pressure and keeping the senses on its peak are important at those times.
Realistic: Many people think that a CEO must be optimistic, but very exceptional people will understand that, irrespective of how well one has studied pros and cons, there always remains some probability of failure. One must keep that in mind, so that he could choose the best strategy and must also be equipped with a plan he would be using it when hit by failure. Hence, being realistic rather than being optimistic adds more chances in becoming a successful CEO.
Neutrality: The most important and most forbidden quality nowadays is emotional neutrality. People, who believe in, ‘if you think it’s going to work, it will work,’ are most likely to fall. Deciding that you need to start a company or lead a bunch of people in the spell of rage has probability of regretting their decisions after the effect of the spell. Also as a saying for Godfather goes- ‘never involve your emotions in business, it affects your judgment,’ one must be able to think above what he feels about the outcome. One must be calm enough to observe the market, patient enough to acquire the required skills and wise enough to start the journey when the market needs him most.
Risk Taking Factor: Here is another controversial thing they say about entrepreneurs — sometimes they need to risk everything. This sentence is partially true, because knowing the meaning of ‘Risk’ is very important here. If people think that, “If the result of an act depends purely on ‘fortune’, it is called risk,” then people are not using “Risk” with the context of business. Maximizing the probability of wining and hoping that everything will go according to the calculation and executing the act is “taking Risk.” As winning is never guaranteed, risk taking factor affects greatly on the success of a CEO. Hence, taking risk is mandatory but great business people never risk everything, that’s why it’s called Business, not Gambling. A good strategist always keeps his assets safe to use during the calamities.
Judgment: Having a good judgment is as important as having leadership qualities. And the secret to make the judgment better is to learn continuously.
The success of a CEO is measured by two parameters— what people in the market thinks about him and what people in his own company thinks of him. The above qualities are enough to make the company successful and win the respect of people in the market. But for the people of the company, with the above materialistic characteristics, having 3 C’s is very important — Credibility, Competence and Caring. People must trust you, your words and your way of doing business. Even if things go wrong, people must be by your side instead blaming you. ‘Having good relations is the key to have good to gain the 3 C’s. As the saying from ‘House of Cards,’ goes, “Generosity is some kind of Power,” you must be generous enough to make the people believe in you.
“Give Respect and Take Respect,” is the secret to gain Respect. Loyalty of people is the most difficult and highest of the medal a Leader can achieve. As people follow leader in all aspects, loyalty is also a quality that people acquire from the leader. For that the CEO must be loyal to the company, to its people and to his work, because of this, irrespective of the success company gets, the CEO wins the loyalty of his people. Also, promoting loyalty is another kind of skills which includes— respecting and promoting old employees, fulfilling personal demands of employees, celebrating success of company with all employees, giving credits to all, etc.
