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Entrepreneur CEOs - The Right Stuff

What makes a great CEO? What makes a leader? What are the Six Attributes of a successful CEO?

There is no one path to CEO success. There is no correct plan. There is, however, a degree of insanity to working so hard in the fervor of creation. Creating is a feeling associated with peak experiences as is working with bright, dedicated people on a team.

Entrepreneurs are unwilling to accept that their decisions are wrong decisions, but instead make their decisions be the correct ones. Often they react and think quickly while making decisions before being comfortable with them. Moving with the market, reacting to change, taking a direction because it is available, and getting on with it characterize their behavior. Finally, they are prepared for wealth not being the outcome.

Preparation for becoming an entrepreneur could include selecting a company with objectives that are personally appealing and growing with experiences found there. Continually check to see if the challenges at work cease and feeling "topped out" appear. "Re-potting" might mean lateral assignments or even regression in order to go forward. Opportunities either inside or outside of an established company exist. It is up to individuals to determine that for themselves.

The Six CEO Success Attributes are;

1. Having a mission. Believe in what you are doing. Know that it is true and stick with it. Do not be diverted or discouraged by the "experts."

2. Building a team. This is a human resources game not a marketing one. It is about people who can solve technical problems. It is essential to be good at what you do. Give your best performance. The same holds true for the management, financing, and marketing teams. The board of directors' experience and presence lend credibility to a company's high level of professionalism. Leadership is the CEO's job.

3. Making a profit. The fundamental laws of economics have not been revoked. Profits fund continued business of an ongoing enterprise. Your continued existence as a business depends on spending less than revenue earned. The most important rule of entrepreneurship is to not screw it up. Great companies have been about A-level execution. The competition goes out of business because of bad performance. Performing consistently quarter after quarter in comparison to the competition makes all the difference.

4. Visiting customers. Leadership by example means CEOs evangelize by going on the road and visiting prospects. This demonstrates to employees that CEOs work with and beside them. Commit to customer satisfaction by calling on clients. Go out and sell something.

5. Designing a corporate culture. Engineer a corporate culture or live with whatever develops. Organizations with longevity think about this a lot. Any more, it is not enough to make money, issue public stock, or crush the competition. Become a great company known for delivering great products/technologies and being an upstanding member of the community. Take a market position in relation to other companies and make every communication demonstrate this - not only to the public but also to employees. "Enculturate" people to what the business stands for and what its core values are.

6. Having some luck. Sometimes it is a matter of being in the right place at the right time with the right product/service.

Written by Judy Kong, Analyst with TECHdivas.com