24 Aug Top Six Qualities of a Successful CEO
The role of a CEO is versatile. Not only are they responsible for instilling brand values in employees, but they are also for the long-term strategy of the business.
They set the tone for how the company runs, and the qualities they develop can significantly impact the company’s success. So, what makes a leader effective? In today’s article, we share a list of successful CEO traits.
Table of Contents
Top Traits of a Successful CEO
1. Vision
Great leaders have a vision and a clear direction in which they want to steer their business. Not only is it a tool that helps leaders prepare for the future, especially during rocky or unexpected setbacks, but also a mission that unites everyone.
As the head of the company, it is the CEO’s responsibility to clearly and passionately communicate their vision to the team to provide focus and give them meaning and purpose in what they do. Demonstrating passion, inspiration, and motivation ensure that everyone contributes to the company’s forward momentum.
2. Realistic Optimism
Because CEOs need to be the guiding light, it’s beneficial if they have an optimistic attitude. It enhances decision-making, problem-solving, and action-taking. They must influence the workforce to think creatively, motivate them and build strong relationships with them.
Having said that, while it’s excellent for CEOs to be confident, they shouldn’t be arrogant about their skills and what they offer their employees. Humility increases collaboration.
3. Understanding and Acceptance
A successful CEO must be understanding and accepting. Whether an employee’s emergency or an error at work, the CEO must realize that mistakes and shortcomings are only natural and sometimes out of anyone’s control.
In general, showing your employees a certain level of compassion can make them happier, more productive, less stressed, and better able to work together to solve problems.
4. Thinking Outside the Box
The business landscape is ever-changing and uncontrollable situations can push a company in unexpected directions. Sometimes the same tried methods don’t work.
As a result, a CEO must have the ability to think outside the box and be willing to take calculated risks to increase their chances of success. The exposure to new perspectives and ways of doing things also ensures the company avoids short-sightedness, giving them an edge over their competitors and standing out to their customers.
5. Zest for Learning
Whether through independent research, training, conferences or other people, top CEOs must always be curious and desire to learn.
Being proactive, taking notes of all your learnings from competitors, and applying lessons learned from past experiences can only set an example and encourage high performance. Continuous learning will help you pursue personal and professional goals, keeping monotonous practices at bay.
6. Strong Communication Skills
Being able to communicate with your team effectively can boost their morale when necessary. Communicating your needs means fewer issues and errors, from motivating them to completing projects on time.
However, communication is a two-way street. It creates open dialogues with your team members that allow them to voice concerns, solve problems, and ask questions, creating engagement within your team, which leads to better results.
Remember, the best leaders are also great listeners. So, offer support and mentorship whenever you can. Inspiring and being trusted leads to a sense of fulfillment and a positive working environment.
Meet Mike Norton, the CEO Who’s Setting an Example
From a young age, Mike had a clear vision of what he wanted to become. He had countless dreams of developing futuristic technological designs. However, to transform his vision into a reality, Mike had to overcome a series of painful and personal struggles, including homelessness, physical abuse, undetected tumors in his skull, and hospitalization for malnourishment. He also learned physics and different subfields of engineering.
After serving in the US military, he earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Full Sail University. He also studied physics through the OpenPlus program while running his international marketing agency OMI Firm from home to gain entrepreneurial experience while raising money for his technological dreams and providing for his family.
As a result, in 2018, Mike successfully founded his technological engineering firm, Wolven Industries, with the mission to ‘repair, protect, and prepare families against modern-day threats.’ While Mike initially planned to develop technology for the US military, NATO, and private military contractors through custom contracts, he chose to pivot his company’s technological direction in response to COVID-19.
He and his team of physicists and engineers developed a handheld LED-based electronic device for disinfection using UV-C light – a technology with germicidal properties that can effectively kill 99.99% of all pathogens.
Wolven Industries is aware that basic UV cleansers aren’t new. However, having studied the market, Mike and his team have developed one that would be more powerful and ensure the user’s maximum possible safety.
Problem Solving is a Critical CEO Skill
Building a business during the pandemic came with challenges. Wolven Industries experienced varying delays related to distance, funding, and other obstacles. However, instead of waiting for every development detail, Mike maintained a gritty and resilient attitude to continuously educate himself and evolve his skills.
As a result, he built a fully remote team, bootstrapped an initial starting capital of an estimated $200,000 from his marketing firm, taught himself physics, mechanical and electrical engineering, and built a fully operational, miniature physics and engineering lab in the comfort of his own home.
All of which allowed him to begin the rapid prototype of new technological products, from his house, at his own pace. Despite these obstacles, it is thanks to Mike’s communication, leadership, creativity, willingness to learn, decision-making, and problem-solving skills that have set his company up for success.
And now that the uRay is finished and being shipped to civilian consumers, Mike can get serious about turning futuristic dreams into reality. He’s now ready to work on Vannoken armor.
A CEO must possess certain traits to be an effective leader. Do you believe that you have all the above qualities? What other characteristics a successful CEO should have?
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