As a chief executive officer (CEO), task execution is your primary job. What does that mean in context to daily tasks? How do you be the top “performer” without selling products and building factories?
Many entrepreneurs and CEO carry a misconception of being a thinker. However, this thought is not completely incorrect. Although, shaping strategies and designing future is a part of your job as a CEO. Best CEOs of the industry understand that building strategies are just a theory until it is put into action.
Importance of Communication
It is the CEO’s job to ensure the execution of set strategies. If you want to be on the list of best CEOs, your primary focus should be on two points: communication and checking resource allocation. It is vital to ensure that the priorities being communicated are the ones being invested. We understand communication can be annoying sometimes, but top CEOs resist their craving to hunt for a new shiny goal. Even if it is manically repetitive, a CEO should stick to the communication, to guarantee the right implication and utilization of strategies.
Remember, communicating on a daily basis could be monotonous, but not easy. New CEOs often think that this heavy communication channel will tear down their company. Hence they tend to avoid long communications.
There are many types of communication sins in offices, and all over the world. Most of them are forgiven. However, as more and more teams are multicultural, it is important for senior managers to adapt their employee communication to the respective situation and the respective employees. Perhaps one does not take offence at your communication style, while the next one picks up the eyebrows. By making the individual personalities of your team, taking corporate culture into account, and acquiring a few techniques for effective communication with your team, your office will not only have a more relaxed atmosphere but also increase the performance of your employees in the long run.
Strong network
Successful people network always and everywhere. They not only have their advantage in mind but also ask what they can do for others.
Fail correctly
A successful person is not someone who does everything right but the one who makes mistakes and learns from it. Defeats are painful, but you can get out of it as well. What we often do not have in mind is that people who have outstanding projects and who are successful often look back on failed ideas, rejection or other defeats. Oprah Winfrey was not suitable for her job as a TV anchor, and his enterprise terminated Steve Jobs. Get up, breathe, pass on.
Live a balanced life
Work hard, relax harder. Successful people pay attention to their work-life balance. Workaholic – this is not an honour to be stuck to the heart, but a synonym for the fact that something is wrong in life. Depending on how intro- or extroverted you are, different things will do you good: spend more time with many people or rather quiet time, just for yourself. Find out what is good for you and take these times.
Have a morning routine
A well-structured start of the day keeps the potential to create a lot. Not for nothing is the first undisturbed hour in the office and often the most productive. Successful people use the start to the day to do important tasks first. What is done immediately, then does not landed miserably somewhere on the edge of the day – half-hearted or perhaps not at all done.
Habits of the top CEOs
AOL CEO Tim Armstrong
The former Google CEO Armstrong stands every day between 5.00 and 5.15 in the morning. Then he drives the sport. He even has a chauffeur to take him to the office so he can work on the drive.
PIMCO-Cofounder Bill Gross
Star investor Bill Gross starts his day at 4:30 am. He is at the office by six at the latest, more than three hours before the stock market opens.
GE CEO Jeff Immelt
There are some things that you do not have to say: Jeff Immelt, General Electric’s CEO, is proud to be working 100 hours a week for 24 years. He gets up at 5:30 every morning.
Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne
At Fiat, they say on the board: “Sergio invented the eighth day of the week.” The CEO is already up at 3.30 am so that he can immediately lead the Group’s European operations. In Europe, it is already morning.
Richard Branson, Founder and Chairman of the Virgin Group
Entrepreneur Richard Branson has his South Seashell, but does the man sleep there? Not at all! At 5:45 am, the sunrise awakens him, then plays sports immediately and only after breakfast.
Disney CEO Bob Iger
Bob Iger starts his “Quiet time” at 4:30. How does it look like? He reads the newspaper, hears music and watches television – all at the same time by the way. How does the man look “Loud time”?
Ellevate board member Sallie Krawcheck
The businesswoman meditates at 4.30 in the morning in her way. She drinks the first coffee in half-darkness, turns on the fireplace, and watches the daughter sleep next to the computer. This is the time when they usually have the best ideas, says Krawcheck.
Hain-Celestial Group CEO Irwin Simon
When others begin to work at nine o’clock, Simon has prayed, answered all the emails, practised sports, spent time with his children, and ate breakfast in Manhattan. For this, he is at five o’clock.
Ultimately, what you need to do to be successful in life is work hard and enjoy at the same time. A successful CEO is the one who can mobilise the hearts and minds. Remember, CEOs are not the ones who lead companies, they lead a group of people who want to move in the same direction.
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