The position of CEO within any company has a broad set of expectations associated with it. For CEOs to lead effectively, there are certain traits, behaviors and ideals that can be a deciding factor in whether or not a particular CEO is fit for the job. Shawn Khorrami, the Founder of Khorrami Consulting, has an overview of five key personality traits that every successful CEO should possess to lead effectively. He takes the time to provide a brief overview of each.
Passion for Your Work
At the core of every responsibility of a CEO, the mundane is a driving force that will enable them to maximize their efforts in a way that is genuine as well as motivating for every employee. An emphasis on passion is what allows a highly-effective CEO to continue pressing forward, regardless of the nature of their current circumstances; this is achieved by undertaking every task with a deliberate attitude, reinforcing to others that everything matters.
In addition to the ideal of passion, every CEO must also apply it in tandem with a clear and definite vision of what they would like to see their company accomplish in the future. Quite frequently the CEO is responsible as the individual who will set the standard for their company, with everyone else following in their footsteps. It is critical to have visionary sensibilities to not only establish a professional standard, but fuel motivation.
Wisdom Through Experience
Even the most passionate CEOs are unable to function with passion alone. Their deliberations, motivations, and aspirations all need to be filtered through a deeply rooted sense of wisdom to ensure that every single choice they make will benefit the company. One of the key elements of wisdom is the ability to examine past experiences, evaluate them, and recognize what needs to be learned in order to make better future decisions; this means that every CEO must have an established track record of both their successes and failures to draw on when it is time to make decisions.
Courage to Make Difficult Decisions
When a CEO is able to make wise decisions that have the potential to radically change their company for the better, having an awareness of such decisions is only the first part of the process. In order to follow through with a particular course of action that must be taken, the CEO of a company must display courage, having the self-confidence necessary in order to lock in their decisions; this is especially true when the decisions in question are of a difficult nature. When a CEO is capable of displaying such decisiveness, this can reinforce the confidence they instill in others as a leader.
Curiosity to Fuel Innovation
The best CEOs display a trait that is oftentimes overlooked, but in reality, is an essential part of successful leadership. The ability to maintain a sense of curiosity is what allows a CEO to think outside the box, considering options that are new and unfamiliar. The solution to any particular problem has nearly an equal potential of being an established working method as it has the chance of being something that is considered unorthodox. What this means for CEOs is that they should always be on the lookout for new ways of doing things, exercising their curiosity as a means to find ways for their companies to function that are better than the current standard.
Caring
Aside from all of the skills that are attributed towards decision-making and leadership, it is vital for a CEO to avoid neglecting their interpersonal skills; rather, they must demonstrate on a constant basis that they care about the other members of their company in a genuine way. Possessing a matured emotional intelligence is a must, and this trait is centralized around knowing what is best for both individuals as well as the collective group. By listening intently and setting their egos aside, a CEO openly shows that they care deeply.
As a serial entrepreneur, Shawn Khorrami has strongly developed skills of both adaptability as well as tenacity, having handled many large-scale legal cases in addition to starting up and investing in businesses within a variety of industries.
