There can be no doubt that the role of a CEO is a tough one to excel at. When we look at the world’s top companies, it’s not hard to see why they are successful with CEOs such as Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg & Satya Nadella at the helm; but what can be harder to define is what makes them so successful at that role.
A recent report shows that leadership culture plays a strong role in business performance. Let’s examine 4 of the leadership strategies employed by the world’s top CEOs:
Vision & Mission
A CEO can be viewed as the captain of a ship – while there are many people responsible for the individual duties that propel the company forward, it is the CEO’s job to look ahead and decide what that direction is. This can be compared to the company ‘Vision’ and ‘Mission’ statements– the CEO is the company’s vision; he should always have a strong sense of the direction the company needs to move in. The ‘Mission’ is what is carried out by the company’s employees – but without a vision to go on; a mission is not of much use. CEOs cannot expect that their employees will always agree with them, or see things as they do, nor should they expect them to. A great CEO maintains his vision, and lets his employees carry out the mission; each playing the part they excel at.
Guiding vs. Instructing
Great CEOs understand that their people need to be guided more than they need to be instructed. Great CEOs operate the way a parent would with their child, vs. the way a babysitter would – guiding, showing & supporting as opposed to micromanaging. The idea is to nurture people, giving them ample room to try, fail & succeed, showing them that you are there for guidance but enabling them to grow on their own.
Create a Safe Space
Employees of great CEOs feel heard; a safe space to communicate their thoughts, ideas & feelings has been created. Often junior employees – or even senior ones – might find it difficult to speak up about something, especially in the presence of their CEO, which can draw the whole situation out and make it longer or more complicated than necessary. Keep it simple, make your employees feel safe and encourage communication at all times.
Your Employees Don’t Work for You
The idea that employees work for their CEO is a misconception – it actually works in reverse. The CEO is the one working for his employees, not only by understanding what they need, but by adapting to those needs regularly. Each individual has a different set of needs at different times, and a successful CEO is one who strives to provide each employee with what they need to be content & productive in their career, now and on into the future.
