Although there are leadership traits that every CEO should possess—and these haven’t changed all that much throughout the years—there are some skill sets that will be more important tomorrow than they were 10 years ago.
Being the CEO of an organization takes tremendous skill, but being a successful CEO in 2016 is going to take a whole new set of skills and #bigideas.
1. CEOs Will Need An Ability To See Around Corners – CEOs need to identify trends early (avoiding temporary hype) and stay ahead of the fast-moving competitive landscape.
2. CEOs Will Need A Tolerance For Ambiguity – Tomorrow’s leaders need a constant readiness for changing business dynamics and an ability to work with the unclear goals and desired outcomes of those around them.
3. CEOs Will Need Agile Decision-Making – CEOs and Entrepreneurs will benefit from being flexible-minded and curious life-long learners who are open to testing and measuring new ways of doing things.
4. CEOs Will Need Resilience In Execution – an often-overlooked skill is resilience – the power to drive near-constant renewal inside their organization.
5. CEOs Will Need To Be At Ease With Technology – For many CEOs, technology plays an important role – both as an accelerator of change, and as the key tool at their disposal to remain agile, to adapt to changing circumstances, and to stay close to consumers and influencers.
6. CEOs Must Be Surrounded By A Great Team – CEOs must have talented staff in place to compete in the marketplace. The ability to attract great people is one aspect, but being able to cultivate a positive culture with a happy workforce, centered around trust with staff, is also key. As Michael Dell said “If you are the smartest person in the room – you need to find a new room.”
Being a CEO is a big job, and with each passing year it will only get bigger. Focusing on developing skills in these six areas should prepare you for the challenges in the year ahead.
About CEO Coaching International
CEO Coaching International works with CEOs and their leadership teams to achieve extraordinary results quarter after quarter, year after year. Known globally for its success in coaching growth-focused entrepreneurs to meaningful exits, the firm has coached more than 1,500+ CEOs and entrepreneurs across 100+ industries and 60 countries. Its coaches—former CEOs, presidents, and executives—have led businesses ranging from startups to over $10 billion, driving double-digit sales and profit growth, many culminating in eight, nine, or ten-figure exits.
Companies that have worked with CEO Coaching International for two years or more have achieved an average revenue CAGR of 25.9%, nearly 3X the U.S. average, and an average EBITDA CAGR of 39.2%, more than 4X the national benchmark.
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