In this day and age trying to remain a relevant part of today’s twenty first century business world is a tough task indeed. You have to be constantly on your feet trying to think of new ways to outdo your contemporaries. There are numerous startup companies evolving each and every day and it is the responsibility of the CEO to make sure that everything runs in a smooth and efficient manner. Given below are few tips that can help you become a successful startup CEO
Excellent Tips for Startup CEOs:
1. Be a useful link between the company employees and investors:
One of the chief things you need to keep in mind if you want to be a great CEO is that you have to act as an active link between the employees and the investors. Communication is key in any company and if you, as the CEO is not able to do this task properly then the company will never be able to do well. If there is a break down in the communication then this could be disastrous for the company. If the investors are not happy then they will not spend any of their hard earned money investing in your company or product. Keeping them content is your primary concern.
2. Be an embodiment of the company’s vision:
Since the CEO is the most important and powerful person in the startup company, it is his prerogative to ensure that the company name is held up at all times and at no time should the products being manufactured or the services being given be sub standard in any way. A good CEO ensures that everything being done and every decision being taken is absolutely in keeping with the company policies and ideals. If the CEO does not carry out this responsibility well, then the company will certainly not be able to do well and achieve success.
3. You must have a positive outlook:
No startup company earns big bucks or becomes a success over night. It is the CEO who should always try to have a positive outlook and encourage the team members to keep faith and keep working hard as well. A great CEO will be constantly speaking positively and try to encourage the workers even if they have made mistakes or have failed in carrying out some tasks. If the CEO is constantly negative and does not have the courage to think ahead and look at the larger picture, then the employees too will think negatively.
4. Be an inspiration to the rest of the company employees:
What a great CEO does is that he or she is able to inspire the workers through his words, deeds and actions. A great CEO is someone with charm as well as charisma. A CEO who frets and cannot handle any issues that come his way is someone who will not last very long in the business world. There is no such thing as smooth sailing in the corporate world, there are always some unexpected issues that crop up which need immediate attention. It is up to the CEO to keep a cool head and be able to handle situations like these in a successful manner.
5. Develop your communication skills:
One of the chief traits of a great CEO is that he or she should have good communication skills. CEO’s of big startup companies have to have the gift of the gab in order to communicate with clients, customers, investors or even employees. When the CEO is not able to speak well and in a confident manner then it reflects very badly on the company. If you are someone who does not have very good communication skills then you should try and develop this skill, otherwise you will find it very hard to be a great CEO of a startup company.
6. Be able to think on your feet:
A CEO should be intelligent enough to think on his feet as well as the ability to take quick decisions in time of trouble. If you are the CEO of the company then naturally you should always have the best interest of the company and the employees at heart. Often it might happen that you might be faced with criticism or even opposition when you take a decision, however you should have the confidence to stand by the decision which you have taken or be fickle and change your decisions based on what people say, anything is fine but should do it independently.
7. Learn as much as you can along the way:
Even as a CEO, if you do not possess any MBA degree or other kinds of high educational qualifications, it is fine. No matter what your age is you can always pick up and learn business related things along the way. The best way to learn about a job is not by reading things online but by actually doing the things yourself. Initially you might find yourself at sea or in doubt about what to do, yet over time you will gain both experience and knowledge which will help you grow as a CEO.
8. Having no prior experience is actually a good thing:
When you have the experience of being a CEO of a company previously then you join the startup company with many pre conceived notions and you might find yourself getting confused or frustrated when things do not go your way. However if you begin being a CEO with a clean slate then you will have no such pre conceived notions and you will be able to start a fresh, doing things your own way and learning from your mistakes without getting demoralized or deflated. A great CEO just takes things as they come without reading too much into anything.
9. You should learn to say no when needs be:
One of the most challenging parts of being a CEO is knowing when to put your foot down and saying no at the right time. A great CEO will be open to change and willing to accept new ideas which employees come with, yet at the same time a CEO should not be a ‘yes’ man who blindly agrees to any and everything. Taking risks is an important part of any business, yet it is important to ensure, you are not putting everything on the line while hoping for the best. A great CEO ensures that good calculated risks are taken so that no big blunders are committed.
10. Keep yourself up to date with technical knowledge:
A great CEO has to keep up to date with his technical knowledge and with the progress being made by his company. A CEO should learn to delegate responsibility, yet he should not shy away from taking matter into his own hands when needs be. In addition to having knowledge about your own company a CEO should also keep track of the progress being made by contemporaries to ensure that his or her own company is not falling back in any aspect. With all services and products the company should try and remain head and shoulders above the rest.
11. Lead the team from the front:
A great CEO of a start up is someone who has the ability to lead from the front and give distinct orders on how things should be done, especially in times of crisis. A startup company will never be able to succeed if the CEO is someone who sits back and refuses to take matters into his own hands even when the company is in trouble. The CEO has numerous important responsibilities to take care of and if he or she does not do so in a satisfactory manner then it will not be long before the company will have to choose a new CEO or shut down entirely.
12. Try your best not to be a ‘fake CEO’:
A great CEO is very different from a ‘Fake CEO’. A Fake CEO is someone who only wants to be involved in the glamorous part of the job without being involved in any of the back ground activity, where as a great CEO, is someone who believes that though he is the face of the company, yet his primary concern is to see that all the background processes are running smoothly before he can run off for social events or press conferences.
13. Be prepared for plenty of sleepless nights:
It is often said the higher end is your job, the lesser chances that you will be able to have a proper work life balance. A great CEO has to be prepared to put his entire heart and soul into the company before he can worry about the other aspects of his life. This is a tough task indeed, but sadly this is the way that things are for someone who has such a high profile job. Many people have no trouble making such a commitment as to them their careers are most important.
14. Dress well at all times:
A great CEO is someone who is always wary about how he or she is dressed because after all he represents the company and at any given point in time a client or investor might come walking through the door. It would create a really bad impression if the CEO of the startup company looks untidy, unkempt or disheveled.
15. Be as approachable as possible:
If you want to known as a great CEO then you should be as approachable as possible. It will certainly not be possible to know every employees names, but you should try your level best to make all employees feel like they are an important part of the company. Making the employees feel like they really belong is the responsibility of the CEO.
16. Try to build a culture not a company:
Being a great CEO is no small or simple task indeed and rather than focusing on monetary, small or short term gains you should always keep your eye on the bigger picture. Your primary aim should not be just to build a company, rather you should want to build a culture and legacy which will leave on many years from now even when you are no more.
17. Have a deep understanding of what the customers want:
It is the primary aim of any startup company to give the people what they want. It is a great CEO who can tell exactly what the customers want and he should base his words upon proper statistical details. If the people are happy then the company is sure to be a success.
18. Have skills of negotiating:
A great CEO of a start up is someone who is able to negotiate very well. The business world is a cut throat one indeed and the CEO who is able to interact and negotiate well will be able to take his company very far indeed.
19. The ability to dream:
Last but certainly not the least is that a great CEO is someone who is a thinker as well as a dreamer. He may not speak very much but when he does put forth his ideas they should be revolutionary indeed.
Being a CEO of a startup company is certainly a demanding task indeed. Yet if you think you have the skills and capability to carry out all the responsibilities which are expected of you then you should not shy away from becoming one. To be the CEO of a successful startup company you have to ensure that the employees are happy and content because after all they are the very back bone of your company and without them your business will never be a success.
