What do great CEOs do? Focus on the basics of leadership and more

In addition to CEOs using the information presented here, boards of directors are also encouraged to apply the following content as the basis for CEO evaluation or CEO selection; a task that the Boards are forced to perform more frequently. Executive turnover and subsequent CEO succession planning is now a major issue within many organizations. Retaining an effective CEO is very likely the most important task for boards in today’s challenging and changing business environment.

Simply put, what great CEOs do is focus on the basics of leadership. But what are the basics? Nine important points are presented, which provide the necessary framework to effectively lead an organization on the path to sustainability and growth. Other attributes that great CEOs would agree are important in their ability to execute organizational strategy and achieve personal and professional success are also described.

With this in mind, I think the following observations are appropriate. I have been a student, researcher, practitioner, and trainer in leadership development for more than four decades. That period of time has given me the opportunity to discover that much of what has been written about leadership hasn’t really changed over the years. Minus the fluff or fads, most of what has been documented about leadership gets mixed up after a while, and few new revelations have been made.

In fact, many of the descriptions of leadership have become quite utopian. Those descriptions are what many “non-leaders”—those who study and teach leadership but have never actually been tasked with leading others—have found important.

Based on my own experience and many conversations with executives who have really made a difference, the mark of a strong “CEO leader” boils down to a few very basic leadership attributes. And no, they are not being a great visionary, a charismatic or an innovative individual. Rather, strong leaders will often agree that they routinely focus on and achieve time-honoured basic and core actions for the organizations they lead. This is true for both for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Great leaders create and influence the culture of the organization so that people are inspired and engaged. They create the mood and manage emotions. They realize that genuine congratulations for a job well done can motivate an individual and an organization like nothing else. A great CEO understands that the mood he sets may well be one of the most powerful contributions he makes as a leader. They know that they must model the way. CEOs understand that the people they lead make the organization’s strategy a reality. Great leaders realize that “it’s the people that matter…theirs and yours.”

Interestingly, virtually all of the successful executives I’ve met are visual people. They don’t need lots of detailed information to lead, but instead choose to work with bullet points, graphs, diagrams, and metrics, which indicate the things that they and the people in the organization need to be clear about. They understand that it is very important that key people in the organization know where they are, where they are going, and how they are going to get there. They paint a clear picture.

The following “Basic Points” outline nine things the CEO, as “the leader,” must do in an organization of any size:

1. Set the direction and strategy of the organization
2. Clearly communicate the image to all stakeholders
3. Model a positive “mood and tone” for everyone to follow
4. Make sure the right measures of success are in place
5. Recruit, hire and retain the best talent and then delegate effectively
6. Insist on business execution at all levels within the organization
7. Make sure there is money in the bank to support both sustainability and growth
8. No matter what, as a leader, do whatever it takes to ensure that all of the above is accomplished, even when unexpected events occur.
9. Delegate all management actions to others

More often than not, “action trumps brilliance” when it comes to achieving the above statements. Great leaders understand that there is a time to argue, but then there is a time to act. When faced with a potential setback or failure, they will find a way to adapt and keep the organization moving forward. Doing what it takes in the face of adversity is the mark of a great leader and the hallmark of a great organization.

When it comes down to it, strong CEOs have developed the ability to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason to achieve the right goals for the greater good of the organization and those they serve. As easy as it may seem, it is a path that often separates the leader from the follower. The right decision can often go against the popular assumptions of others.

Great CEOs are acutely aware of their strengths and weaknesses, seek feedback, ask good questions, listen well, reflect, and are aware of their ability to influence. They also truly understand that “what they do or don’t do” has a direct impact on the success of the organization they lead. One additional point, great leaders are adept at the not-so-easy task of balancing the disparate needs and well-being of investors, employees, and customers.

Yes, true leadership at the top can be difficult and lonely, but also very rewarding for the leader; Because great leaders take pride in the fact that they lead people and organizations to a better place than they would ever have experienced without their core leadership skills. Bottom line… Great CEO focus on time-honoured, basic leadership principles.

Post script: In addition to the brief comments above and the basic checklist, the great executive leaders I’ve met do more than just apply strong leadership skills. They bring their own special innate knowledge, skills, abilities and talents. This helps “your own unique leadership style” work well in their respective organizations. They experience and develop a special ability to operate at a level of leadership that few people reach. They are very much on a mission, sometimes on the verge of “a calling,” constantly drawn and motivated to effectively lead others and their organization to greater success. They consistently give nothing but their best effort and accept full responsibility for their leadership actions.

The title of Chief Executive Officer or CEO is a very important position for which few qualify and more are needed.