Being a successful CEO looks like a wonderful idea for a career, making important decisions everyday, earning millions of dollars a year and being an influential business person. The biggest CEOs on the planet all have a certain set of characteristics that have taken them to where they are today, nobody gets there by luck or raw talent alone and if you wish to follow in their footsteps then you will need to be able to stand out from those who think that running your own company successfully is easy. Every year there are millions of wannabe CEOs who simply don’t have the ability or work ethic to do what it takes, to avoid being in this group then here is how successful CEOs differ from the failed ones and how you can improve your chances of success.
Dedication
Before even considering whether you have the skill set to be a successful CEO you will need one core characteristic and that is dedication. People like Joseph Johnson Welfont’s CEO didn’t become a successful business leaders overnight, he has studied and worked for over 30 years in organizational leadership and entrepreneurship in order to take him to the top. That is the kind of commitment that you need, if you don’t have it then you may as well give up now.
Visionary
It goes without saying that to become a truly successful CEO then you need to have a great business and a great understanding of the industry that you are in, above that however, you need to be a visionary. Being a visionary is about looking for the next gap in the market, the next great product, seeing how your industry moves and either predicting its next movement or moving it yourself. Great CEOs learn from mistakes and successes and use this knowledge to look forward.
Respect
The commanding and giving of respect is vital in the role of CEO, there are few CEOs on the planet who haven’t garnered the respect of their peers, their team or their board. Respect is gained by achieving success, giving respect out to others and by being a strong leader. Without the respect of the industry, your team or your clients then you are unlikely to succeed in at the top of a company.
Forever a Student
Regardless of what industry you are in, you are required to be fully aware of what is going on within it, this is what all great CEOs do, arm themselves with information daily and study industry movements. Studying your business doesn’t end after college, it is a continual process that will never stop until you retire, those who don’t keep up with their respective industry are the ones who get left behind. If you truly want to become a successful CEO one day then you should realize that the studying never stops, if anything it become more intensive once you finish your education as the knowledge that you possess becomes a direct indicator to the success which you will achieve.
