Leadership Expert

Small Business Leadership - The Qualities of a Successful CEO
By Frank Goley

Company leadership is its most important and critical Resource. Not just the CEO but leadership qualities throughout a company are paramount. There are many qualities of a good Company Leader so it is important that your Management Team have diverse backgrounds and qualities that their "sum" can supplement each other's weaknesses with strength. In order to foster good Leadership within an Organization, you must first have a CEO with many leadership qualities in order to successfully promote and provide clear strategic direction and guidance throughout management's structure.

The CEO is a critical position in a business as this person is the one responsible for every decision, direction and action of the company. CEO's knowledge comes less from school education and more so from the bottom up through the ranks. As CEO you are allowed very few mistakes so development and successful implementation of the Company's Strategic Plan is paramount.

A CEO has a certain innate talent for his particular business, along with extensive business experience at all levels, but as important are the key qualities a Leader has within which make him a successful CEO. These Leadership qualities are:

1. Determined and Self-Disciplined: CEO is focused on the important Goals to be carried out by his Strategic Management Team.
2. Inspires the Troops: CEO has strength of character and he uplifts his employees, inspiring them to follow.
3. Makes Timely, Decisive Decisions: CEO is unwavering and confident.
4. Has a Clear, Simple Vision: which is carried out in the Company's Strategic Plan.
5. Very Strong Communication Skills: Can teach, articulate and define a clear, powerful, straight-forward company message.
6. Street Smart: CEO is savvy, sharp, clever, quick on his feet, with the training of years experience in the "ranks" of various businesses. CEO also has Talent.
7. Inspires Employees to Follow Through Charisma: CEO is a magnet exhibiting attractive qualities, charm and style so others will follow his lead.
8. Strong Intelligence: CEO is naturally smart and has well rounded, diverse knowledge.
9. Very Strong Ethical Standards: Solid character and chooses the high road, instilling that throughout the Company.
10. Not Egotistic: Essential for success as a Leader is the control of Ego. Ego never gets in the way of good business.
11. Works on Performance: CEO demands performance of himself as he does with his people. Performance improvement is a daily discipline and mindset.
12. Learns Quickly: CEO adapts quickly to changes and has very high level adoptive learning capacity.
13. Flexible: CEO sees the merit in a Strong Strategic Plan, yet knows when to redirect Management as necessary to correct problems which arise.
14. Knows Personal and Professional Weaknesses: CEO can perform a self audit and shore up his Management Team and Key Employees where he is weak or lacking.
15. A Great Listener: CEO must be able to listen to his Board, his Managers, his employees and customers to gauge where his business stands in its Strategic Plan.
16. Actions are Implemented with Clarity, Consistency and Commitment.
17. Utilizes Different Leadership Approaches as Needed: CEO can utilize a Strategic Approach, an Expertise Approach, a Human-Assets Approach, a Box Control Approach and/ or Change Approach for the given business climate and situation.
18. Exceedingly Fair yet Tough.
19. Humbled by Numerous Business Learning Experiences.
20. Never forgets who He or She is as a Person: Clearly knows what he or she stands for.
21. Dynamic and Multi-Talented: Taps a very diverse knowledge and experience base.

The CEO is multi-faceted, buffeted by many years of diverse experience throughout all levels of business. The CEO has a firm understanding of everyone's role in a Company and sees to it they have the Process and Resources to implement the Company's Business Plan. The effective CEO is an Entrepreneur, daring to always walk the envelope between success and failure, knowing when to pull back and regroup and when to aggressively move forward to exploit the market. CEO knows he or she didn't get their alone and understands how to assemble and utilize a highly talented Management Team. Most importantly, the CEO cares about the lives of his employees and what is good for them and their families. The CEO is accountable to his people.

Frank Goley is a business success consultant for ABC Business Consulting. He works with CEOs and executives in small and medium size companies, helping them to achieve personal and business success. Frank is an expert in business planning, marketing plans, strategic planning, web marketing, business consulting and business coaching. He is also author of a Business Plan Book and Business Success Guide.

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