Launching a growing a company is no piece of cake. Nowadays, startup attempts are extremely frequent. Most people are eager to start their own businesses without even considering what that it would take. Not everyone’s capable of being a great CEO.
Exceptional CEOs possess several distinctive traits which the average individual might only be dreaming of. The internet is an amazing source of information. In fact, if you want to build a new skill right now, you can simply find the best books on the topic, the best YouTube videos on the subject, and the best blogs in your niche.
The point is…skills and traits can be easily developed – if only one is eager to do it. The most creative startup founders base their success on the qualities which they have developed throughout time. In today’s post, we’re going to explore 7 traits and skills that successful contemporary startup founders display.
1. Consistency
In the business game, in order to win, you need to be consistent. Consistency revolves around pursuing your dreams by taking actions over and over again. Practice, practice, practice, and you’ll become a master. When launching a startup, there will be tons of extra actions that might tear you down. Stay active and work on it consistently!
2. Resilience
Besides consistency, a CEO has to be resilient to the problems which may arise on a frequent basis. When you’re happy that you fixed a problem, another one will show up. Some people can take it so they give up. Being resilient means to be willing to start over from scratch if everything fails. Resilient means saying “I’ll never give up” and sticking to it for good.
3. Emotional Intelligence
IQ is no longer relevant in today’s marketplace. EQ (emotional intelligence) on the other hand becomes more and more important. People have finally figured it out; in order to lead a company with more employees, the leader, or the CEO is ought to present emotional intelligence qualities for managing those employees. When there’s EQ, there are also well-thought decisions and movements in the company.
4. Enthusiasm for Criticism
Successful CEOs are not afraid of feedback. In fact, they’re eager to receive constructive criticism. They won’t take it personally when you tell them that they're wrong; instead, they’ll like you more for being so upfront and letting them know what you see.
Why is this mindset helpful? Well, we’re not always able to analyze and criticize ourselves correctly. Therefore, the help of other people would be essential for a continuous personal and professional growth. Creative CEOs see it this way: “If I get better, the company gets better. So why not?”
5. Innovation and Courage
Innovative minds are highly appreciated. If you are able to present an out-of-the-box thinking, the marketplace will love you. It’s heavily important to stay out of society’s constraints, rules, and expectations. Think freely and have the courage and power to express your unique ideas. You’ll become truly innovative when you’ll eliminate your fear of failure completely!
6. Flexible and Adaptable
Flexibility and adaptability are another two hugely important qualities that a startup founder should possess. No business will progress exactly according to its plan. Sometimes, you’ll have to take risks. Other times, you’ll have to adapt to external conditions that randomly show up.
George Mitchells, CEO of Careers Booster, gives us a great example: “Let’s say that a law passes. That law has a direct impact on your company’s operations and eventually performance. In these cases, as a CEO, you are forced to make changes and assume responsibility for everything you implement. Without that, your company’s never going to survive in this hugely competitive marketplace.”
The last reason for which these two traits are extremely important lies around the fact that our marketplace is continuously changing. Being the leader of the operations, a CEO has to adapt on a consistent basis to all the conditions that appear.
7. The Ability to Execute
Lastly yet most importantly, a CEO has to execute all his plans with full force and persistence. In order for everything to go smoothly in the long term, a company needs strategies, objectives, and higher goals. These elements are established with the use of proper planning.
However, all your plans for the future will mean nothing if you’re not taking physical action. By physical I mean putting your hands at work. Take each of your strategies each by each and begin implementing. Give everything a material shape.
Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Computers, quotes: “There are a lot of things that go into creating success. I don’t like to do just the things that I like to do. I like to do things that cause the company to succeed. I don’t spend a lot of time doing my favorite activities.”
You see, executing the important things isn’t really a should but rather a must.
Takeaways
You’re never born awesome. You make yourself awesome. If you’re eager to succeed with your creative startup, you’re ought to work hard on yourself. Start growing and never stop doing it. Learn new skills, focus on your biggest qualities and traits, and be consistent all the time. With time, you’re going to shift into an extraordinary professional that has the power to take a startup to its peak.
