Top 5 Personality Traits Every CEO Must Have
If you were to list the top qualities a successful CEO must have, what traits do you think will top this list? To run an organization and be an effective leader, CEO peer development consultants find that having these 5 traits can set you and your business on a path for success.
Trustworthy – Your employees need to know that you say what you mean and mean what you say. Your sense of honesty and trustworthiness is paramount to be able to build trust within your teams and for your employees to buy into your vision. The best way to do this is to be transparent as often as possible. Having a weekly CEO blog or implementing an open door office policy where employees can come meet with you directly, can help to convey your sense of trustworthiness.
High Emotional Intelligence – Often executive leaders focus on what they know as opposed to how well they are able to interact with others. Being able to “read” people and know how to respond to various personality types and learning styles is a key component of being a successful leader. How well you can navigate complex emotional situations can help you in being able to motivate your teams to stay productive and functioning at their best.
Objective – As the leader of your organization, you will have to sift through lots of information to find the best business options for your teams to pursue. To do this, you will need to be able to judge things in an unbiased way so that your decisions are rooted in objectivity and evidence, as much as possible. Your ability to see both sides of an option will be important in shaping how you analyze which paths to take now and into the future.
Analytical-Minded – Making a decision without the proper information can be catastrophic for your organization. That’s why the most successful CEOs make a point to gather data and analyze it to determine the best plan of action. If you are not “data-inclined”, then you could be missing out on big opportunities and/or making decisions that are not as sound as they can (or should be). Even taking time each week to read about changes or trends in your industry can be a good practice to start training your brain to look for patterns, data, or hidden opportunities.
Self-aware – When it comes to choosing executive teams, psychologists note that we are more inclined to choose people that are like us or who share similar qualities and interests. Self-aware CEOs understand this and instead seek out people that have different skills and interests from their own to ensure that their teams are as diverse and innovative as possible. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses, as a leader, is an important self-awareness exercise that enables you to know where you may need more support.
How many of these traits do you possess? Which areas do you feel that you need more guidance in? If you have not found professional development opportunities for the year, we invite you to consider The Brain Trust. Our award-winning CEO development programs are designed to help you hone your skills, strengthen your challenge areas, and give you unprecedented access to world-class resources. Click here to learn more and connect with our CEO peer group on Facebook here.
