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People sometimes look at successful CEOs and wonder how they achieved that position. There will have been a lot of hard work involved, many long shifts and sacrifices will have been made along the way. Most of them have some similar traits as well, some of which are a little surprising.
Introverts
A study has shown that the most successful CEO’s are usually introverts, not extroverts as you might expect. It is thought that this is because although an extrovert will give a better interview and a more polished presentation, an introvert will be better in the actual job.
They are more likely to put their head down and get on with the task in hand, which is all-important for any successful CEO.
They Do Not All have Degrees (But They Are All Smart)
Not all the top people in businesses have degrees. That does not mean that an MBA with engineering focus, for example, would not be useful, as there are some businesses that would not employ you without it. This applies to many other areas as well, such as law, accountancy, marketing and many more. However, it proves that you can get to where you are with natural drive and intelligence, along with a healthy dose of experience.
They Are Not Perfect
They are not perfect by any means, and most of them will acknowledge that. At some point, they will have all made mistakes, even if it was in a previous employment. They all just hope that any errors they make are not so big that they cost their company money or they lose their job.
They Are Flexible
Successful CEO’s are flexible and adaptable to change. There is no stopping the advancements in technology that are happening at an amazing pace, and anyone who lets their business lag behind will soon see a drop in the number of sales they make. Good CEOs don’t let this happen by keeping abreast of the latest updates in their industries.
They Are Reliable
When you are working at the top of the ladder, reliability is crucial. You have to do what you say when you have said you will. If you show unreliability, any people working under you will think they can do the same. This could be a big mistake where customers are concerned, as if your company promises to meet a deadline, for instance, then meet that deadline it must.
They Make Their Decisions Quickly
Good CEO’s don’t hang around when a decision has to be made. They will look at all the pros and cons of a situation and make the decision from the information they have, as quickly as they can. Delay in deciding a matter can cause unrest among the employees, so dealing with them as soon as possible is a really good trait to have.
Of course, there will always be brilliant CEO’s who do not fit the norm and ones that will make a huge success of a business because they are different. Generally, however, research has shown that most of the successful CEO’s have the traits shown above, and if they don’t already, they will soon learn them.
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