Five Defining Characteristics of Great CEOs

1. Personal insight.
Great CEOs are great leaders. They know themselves and what they stand for. They have been called on all their lives as problem solvers because others know them to be fair and impartial. People respect their opinions and look to them for guidance. Great CEOs are mature as people. They can suffer disappointment more gracefully than others and give others credit for their achievements. They don't come in the office door yelling for something they need. They aren't as concerned about titles or power structures as they are about the welfare of those who work at the company. They are trustworthy because they've always been honest with people and have earned that trust. They care about families, and they know that people are more important than dollars and express it in their actions every day.

Finally, great CEOs seek out feedback. They want to know how others see them so that they can understand themselves better and continue to grow as people. They also want feedback about the company from an employee perspective, and they use surveys as a starting point for creating a dialogue to make things better.

2. Resourcefulness.
Great CEOs seem to have boundless energy. They come to work with the greatest enthusiasm. Even when they don't feel like it, they find ways to reenergize themselves and come in ready to go. They take good care of themselves physically and emotionally so that they can be there for the employees and the needs of the company. They give much more than they take every day. They don't give up. If the wall is too high, they back down and find another way around. They don't blame, but they do look for solutions to problems so that those problems are less likely to happen again.

3. Courage.
The CEO has one of the world's toughest jobs. No matter how tough it was to start the company, it's even harder to keep it going and growing. A CEO must decide what he or she stands for and do what is right, all the time. It takes courage to fire the salesperson responsible for the company's biggest, most lucrative account when that same salesperson drives a company car drunk and causes an accident. There will be many times when CEOs will want to smooth over something that requires decisive action because of the potential consequences or because they just can't take on one more challenge at the moment. However, CEOs who exercise poor moral judgment will lose their personal integrity with all of their employees watching.

4. Willingness to look at risk.
A great CEO isn't afraid to look at the downside and answer the hard questions he or she hopes will never become a reality. The CEO needs a backup plan-one that is designed by looking at the company's worst-case scenarios. This plan addresses questions such as: What if your industry experiences a slump? What if new governmental regulations affect your business? What if you lose the client that accounts for 50 percent of your sales? Preparing yourself and your company for these eventualities may be the difference between a tough year or two and bankruptcy. If you are in business for 20 years, some of your worst-case scenarios will probably happen. The key is to be ready and able to take immediate action to reduce the loss.

5. Foresight.
It seems some CEOs have an uncanny ability to predict the future. They may have unusual insights into their particular markets, and luck may play a part as well. In addition, they are prepared to create their own luck by cultivating an ability to see opportunities for their company and to make the deals that convert those opportunities into realities. Some things that may seem like amazing foresight are actually the result of the hard work and discipline it takes to constantly look forward to build a successful company. Great CEOs must also constantly develop new products to build and retain a customer base. Foresight is also the ability to hire and retain the right people, looking ahead toward the growth of the company.

Finally, over time, each company must develop a steady source of business during both good economic times and bad, because there are sure to be bad economic times during the life of a business.

About The Author

Jan B. King is the former President & CEO of Merritt Publishing, a top 50 woman-owned and run business in Los Angeles and the author of Business Plans to Game Plans: A Practical System for Turning Strategies into Action (John Wiley & Sons, 2004). She has helped hundreds of businesses with her book and her ebooks, The Do-It-Yourself Business Plan Workbook, and The Do-It-Yourself Game Plan Workbook. See www.janbking.com for more information.

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the byline is included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

janbking0191@sbcglobal.net

---

When Change Is In the Wind...Heads Up!

In these days of takeovers and mergers, of downsizings and... Read More

Take The Guesswork Out Of Problem Solving

In today's chaotic world and uncertain economic times too many... Read More

Computer Consulting Profit Secrets

Do you own or manage a computer consulting company? Are... Read More

Successful Business Decision Making

Some people make decisions without any difficulty, while others struggle.... Read More

Organize your Office- Seven Solutions

1. Create a filing system with broad categories such as... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management: Incubation and Insight

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Business Innovation ? Tacit Knowledge

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Summertime Blues

It's hard to believe the year will be half over... Read More

Smart Hiring: What Makes the Right Employee?

Good hires do not happen by accident or luck. In... Read More

The 20/60/20 Rule Of Leadership. Dont Go Solving The Wrong Problems

Several decades ago, a passenger jet approached a Florida airport... Read More

Minimising Conflict With Effective Communication

Did you know there are 5 types of... Read More

Business Opportunity - Leverage Your Employees!

As a business asset, they don't sit well on the... Read More

7 Tips for Growing Your Business You Do Not Want to Ignore: Business Strategies To Easily Implement

Growing companies must always be ready for the next challenge.... Read More

Key Control ? Who Has the Keys to Your Kingdom?

Key control, or more accurately the lack of key control... Read More

Internal Prisons: The Thief of Productivity and Quality in our Workforce

As a professional speaker, one of my biggest challenges is... Read More

Knowledge Management - Creating a Sustainable Yellow Pages System

How can I "know who knows" None of us can... Read More

Organisational Culture for Continuous Improvement

I have been working with leading Business Improvement guru, Tim... Read More

Using the Six-Sigma Methodology to Improve Wafer Fab Productivity

As a result of consolidation of operations and significantly increased... Read More

Lawyers With 2 Hands And Everything Else

I heard this back a few years ago. The boss... Read More

The Four Key Steps In Hiring And Keeping Top People

"When you hire the best, the rest is easy!" We... Read More

How To Get What You Really Want

As a small business owner, entrepreneur or independent professional, it's... Read More

Measuring Creativity, DIY style

Creativity measurement is often required in order to benchmark existing... Read More

Why Would Anyone Hold a Bad Meeting?

Pssst, want a stock tip that will make you rich?... Read More

What to Do When Trust is Low

Trust is essential. You can't run a business without it.... Read More

On the Road to Assertiveness

Learning to be assertive takes time, courage and the ability... Read More

Leaning Toward Change

Seduced by the publicity surrounding the impact of Lean on... Read More

Meaningful Diversity: Creating Cultures of Inclusion

In the fitness room the other day, I caught a... Read More

What to Ask When You?re Invited to a Meeting

1) Where is the agenda? A meeting without an agenda... Read More

Muggers in Our Midst - When Rumour and Gossip Pay You a Visit

'I heard it on the grapevine' the old song goes.... Read More

What is Knowledge Management Anyway?

When you think of all the things companies have, you... Read More

Project Heroes

Project heroes. We've all heard of them. Some of us... Read More

Innovation Management ? Flexibility

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Choices in Appointing International Managers

Globalization is requiring companies to make important choices about how... Read More