4 SPECIAL Habits that Turn “Ordinary People” into “Leaders”

If you think that all successful CEOs have been educated at top universities or have set their sights on becoming leaders early on, you are wrong! It is the following habits that contribute to shaping a leader
Elena Botelho and Kim Powell – co-authors of the book The CEO Next Door – said: “In the beginning, even the best CEOs don’t realize how successful they will be.” Yet, in the words of two researchers, most people often hold the traditional notion that “typical CEOs must be strong, have a ‘terrible’ background, or be a sociable person. charismatic and has a spotless resume.”

It is this prejudice that has led us to the mistake of assuming that we do not have the qualifications to become a CEO. However, the reality is completely contrary to our thinking; that is, the average person can completely become a CEO, as long as they possess the necessary characteristics.

So, to find the defining characteristics of being a CEO, Botelho and Powell looked to the leadership database of about 17,000 entrepreneurs from the research firm ghSMART. Together with professors from the University of Chicago and Columbia University, they continued to filter out 2,600 leaders for further research, to find out what successful CEOs have in common.

And, from their research, Botelho and Powell came up with the following four distinctive habits that can help turn ordinary people into successful CEOs.

1. Make decisions quickly and decisively

According to two researchers, good CEOs are often very assertive people, and because of that, they are about 12 times more likely to achieve success. An example of this found by Botelho and Powell is Steve Gorman – the former CEO of Greyhound.

In 2003 – the time Gorman took over Greyhound, the passenger transport business was suffering a loss. In addition, the parent company of Greyhound – which was on the verge of bankruptcy, is also preparing to dissolve it. During the four months after taking office, Gorman’s head seemed to explode as a series of plans to save the company were proposed, then abandoned shortly after by senior management. In the end, the new CEO couldn’t take it anymore and decided he couldn’t wait any longer.

In the middle of a mountain of information gathered to “save” the company, there is a map taken by satellite, which reflects the population density through the concentration of all traffic lights on the whole. water. Although he wasn’t 100% sure of his decision, Gorman immediately changed the Greyhound’s routes, setting a route around the most densely populated areas based on this map. And, Gorman’s plan worked.

By 2007 – by the time Gorman left Greyhound, the company’s profits were at $30 million and it was selling for twice its value in 2003. In reviewing Gorman’s story, Botelho and Powell explained Liked that the CEO was able to move forward not because he knew the plan would work, but because he realized that decisive decision-making, despite the risks, was better than procrastinating and not make any decisions.

2. Inspire and inspire others

To be a great CEO, you must be active in engaging and energizing employees, thereby motivating them to deliver results for the business. However, the process is not simply about being nice or getting people to like you. In fact, a “cute” CEO can become an “obstacle” for the organization, because then, they will be too focused on getting employees to agree with them, rather than motivating employees to achieve their goals. good results.
And, in order for others to feel attracted to the ideas and content you want to convey, there are 3 essential things to do, which are:

Share your vision, goals, and express your intentions clearly.
Understand the physical, emotional, and financial needs of your subordinates, as they are the ones who will bring you results.
Create daily habits to form and build good relationships. It is they that will help motivate employees to take action and bring results to the business.

The reason Steve Jobs was able to build the Apple it is today is because the late CEO knew how to interact and inspire employees – an important factor that helped them come up with many new ideas. Willie Pietersen, a professor at Columbia Business School and author of Strategic Learning: How to Be Smarter Than Your Competition and Turn Key Insights into Competitive Advantage, said: “In many cases, Jobs was quite harsh and treated others somewhat unkindly, however, people let it go, because they sensed the excellence of Jobs and felt the excitement and excitement of being side by side with such a mind. great like that.”

3. Stay in shape

According to 2 researchers, CEOs who regularly maintain their performance and successfully implement plans on a regular basis are highly appreciated. They will be perceived as trustworthy people. Remember, here, we have not discussed the size – small of the plan but only about the stability in the implementation of the plan only. And, once identified as trustworthy, the probability of being offered a job also doubles.

Billionaire Richard Branson is no exception, when he decided to put his trust in Brett Godfrey – his subordinate to establish Virgin Australia. Virgin Australia is the brainchild of Brett Godfrey.

According to Branson, when working with him, he immediately liked Godfrey, because he was meticulous, hard-working, approachable and reliable. So, when Godfrey proposed the idea of ​​opening an airline company in his hometown, Branson nodded in agreement. In 2000, Virgin Australia officially entered the aviation market with Godfrey as CEO until 2010.

4. Adapt well to the situation

To be successful, leaders need to learn how to adapt to new environments, Botelho and Powell say. The two researchers also point out that names like Kodak, Blockbuster and Borders have failed because their leaders failed to adapt.

Research shows that CEOs with a tendency to adapt well often feel comfortable, optimistic in situations that are inherently “difficult to be comfortable”. These CEOs are aware of the fact that discomfort always accompanies change as well as the opportunity to learn something new.

In addition, CEOs who are able to adapt well are often future-focused ones, such as Jeff Bezos. When it first started in 1994, Amazon only sold books. Bezos later expanded into music and video before asking his clients what they wanted the company to sell.

Today, there’s almost nothing Amazon doesn’t sell, from electronics to clothing. The e-commerce giant has even acquired Whole Foods and is planning to launch its own delivery service, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“We also invest in high-risk initiatives for 5-7 years, which most companies don’t do,” said Jeff Bezos. It’s the combination of a long-term vision and taking risks that make Amazon so special.

Source: Saigon Entrepreneurs