Leadership

Traits of the Best CEOs

The Lead Indicators of the Highest Performers

How do you predict if a CEO will be successful? Is it their experience, intelligence, work ethic, or ability to lead a team? While these traits are undoubtedly important, a few rare qualities set high performers apart.

Here are 11 traits that I see when doing strategy and OKR consulting for CEOs and their team leaders.

Written by Matt Roberts | Co-Founder of ZOKRI

Visionary

The world is changing fast along with customer needs. Great CEOs have a clear vision of where they want their business to be. They are innovative and constantly looking for ways to improve and grow their business.

Customer Obsession

There’s a reason why companies like Amazon are so successful. The best CEOs understand the importance of putting their customers first. They are passionate about delivering exceptional customer service and creating a positive customer experience.

Strategic Clarity

For me, the biggest indicator of future success is the ability to articulate your strategy clearly. Good CEO’s know this and know what a good strategy looks like. They have specificity around the customer, the value being bought that will set them apart from the competition, and a clear understanding of the capabilities and levers that need to be used to execute the strategy.

Calculated Risk Takers

A hypothesis is at the heart of a vision and a strategy, which means success is never a given and involves a level of risk. The best CEOs can take calculated risks and make bold moves when necessary.

Emotionally Intelligent

CEOs with high emotional intelligence are excellent communicators and team players. They understand the importance of building solid relationships with their employees, customers, and partners.

Innovate Around Problems

The best CEOs know how to create a culture of problem-solving. If natural problem-solvers are not present, they coach them or hire them because the value they bring is enormous. Rather than never expect problems, they want their people to be like water, finding a path around any obstacle.

Optimistic

Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster ride with plenty of ups and downs. Having optimistic people on your team is a massive mental boost. Optimistic people don’t see roadblocks; they see stepping stones to success. Their energy is electrifying and infectious, making them a must-have when it gets tricky.

Empathetic

It might sound simple, but it’s vital. I don’t care how smart, hardworking, or optimistic a CEO is. If you don’t show empathy, collaborate well, and treat others respectfully.

Delegate Ownership

The best CEOs know that they can not see and do everything and allow their people to take on responsibility. They know that everyone performs better if they take ownership of their work and care about doing a good job.

Adaptable

In our ever-changing world, adaptability is a crucial trait for SMB CEOs. The ability to pivot quickly and adjust to new circumstances is essential for success.

Resilient

Resilience is a non-negotiable trait for CEOs. It is the ability to persist through obstacles, the strength to bounce back from failure, and the tenacity to keep pushing, no matter the challenge. While hard work is shared, grit is rare. The best SMB CEOs have a never-give-up attitude that inspires their teams to keep going, even when it gets tricky.

Summing-up

Predicting the success of a CEO can be a complex task. While experience, intelligence, and work ethic are essential traits, the best-performing CEOs have rare qualities that set them apart. These traits include being visionary, customer-obsessed, having strategic clarity, being a calculated risk-taker, emotionally intelligent, innovative problem solvers, optimistic, empathetic, delegating ownership, adaptable, and resilient. By embodying these traits, CEOs will likely lead their businesses to success and inspire their teams to keep pushing, even during the most challenging times.

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