It is no secret that business acumen in all its guises is an essential attribute for successful CEOs. However, there are also several key personality traits that separate effective CEOs from their less-than-effective—and hence, less-than-successful—counterparts.
Leadership is a relationship between a leader and followers which focuses on achieving shared goals” — Richard Beckhard
Based on the research of The CEO Genome®, an in-depth analysis of a sample of over 2,600 leaders drawn from a data set of 17,000 CEOs and C-suite executive assessments, Elena L. Botelho and Kim R. Powell overturn the myths about what it takes to get to the top and succeed. Much of what we hear about who gets to the top and how is wrong.
- Those who become chief executives set their sights on the C-suite at an early age. Over 70 percent of the CEOs did not have designs on the corner office until later in their careers.
- You must graduate from an elite college. Only 7 percent of CEOs in the data set are Ivy League graduates—and 8 percent did not graduate from college at all.
- To become a CEO, you need a flawless résumé. The reality: 45 percent of CEO candidates had at least one major career blow-up.
- It is no secret that business acumen in all its guises is an essential attribute for successful CEOs. However, there are also several key personality traits that separate effective CEOs from their less-than-effective—and hence, less-than-successful—counterparts.
Botelho and Powell's research, reveals the common attributes that set apart successful CEOs:
- They are decisive
- They are relentlessly reliable
- They adapt boldly
- They engage with stakeholders without shying away from conflict
The six general traits include, but are not limited to:
1. Learning agility
According to the Korn Ferry Institute, learning agility is “the willingness and ability to apply lessons learned from past experiences to new and first-time situations and challenges." This is knowing what to do when you do not have a clue what to do. CEOs and aspiring CEOs who have this trait are easily adaptable to changing environments and insatiably curious. They avoid defaulting to previously effective solutions and problem-solving tactics, instead of applying fresh, varied approaches, ideas, and solutions to the latest problems and unanticipated challenges.
We view this as an essential trait of an Agile Leader.
2. The knack for building solid relationships
A 10-year longitudinal study of more than 2,700 business executives in leadership positions—conducted by Navalent and reported that it found that the ability to form “deep, trusting relationships” is the most “make it or break it” attribute of successful CEOs. The best CEOs, the Review said, develop such connections by “investing heavily in their own emotional and social intelligence, actively solicit feedback about how others experience them, and learn to be vulnerable with their shortcomings to create trust with others.”
We view assess how you prefer to influence and relate to others. The competencies are:
- Builds Consensus
- Establishes Alliances
- Inspires Others
- Utilizes Humor
- Demonstrates Community Consciousness
- Exercises Political Influence
3. Realistic optimism
In his book “Better Under Pressure,” executive assessment expert Justin Menkes, Ph.D., noted that leaders who own this trait are confident, but neither irrational nor delusional about themselves. They pursue “audacious” goals others may perceive as “impossible pipe dreams,” while simultaneously still being aware of the challenges that confront them and any difficulties, they may face on the road ahead.
The behavioural competencies That keeps your motivation and on track to accomplish things.
- Demonstrates Energetic Enthusiasm
- Drives Achievement
- Focuses on Results
- Leads Decisively
- Promotes Compelling Vision
4. A caring nature
No matter CEOs’ competence, “not caring about your people or the organization’s mission will not get you very far,” according to Forbes. In the corporate world, “caring” means CEOs prioritize the organization above themselves and any personal interests. One way to show this is to follow the rule that “the troops eat first;” the other, to own one’s company’s failures as much as, or more than, its successes—and being happy to give others credit for the latter.
Competencies that respond to specific emerging organizational needs are:
- Connects with Customers
- Empathic Inclusion
- Identifies & Develops Talent
5. Being a “host” rather than a “hero”
The host is both the first and the last.” — old Arabic proverb
Most CEOs and other high-ranking executives take a “heroic” approach to leadership, getting things done by “knowing more or working harder than anyone else,” Mark McKergow, Ph.D. and author of “Host: Six New Roles of Engagement for Teams, Organizations, Communities, Movement,” told Amex OPEN Forum, American Express’ online business publication.
Hosting is at the centre of humanity, and a little more awareness of the value of reaching out and opening our doors will go a long way to building relationship in teams, organizations, communities and movements.” — Mark McKergow
The power of the host comes, in part, from understanding that it both starts and ends with us as the leader. Healthy relationships are essential to successful leadership, and in our increasing disconnected technological world there is a habit of stepping back rather than embracing our role. McKergow invites us to view the business world from this new perspective, to consider that as the host “it starts with me. If I do not have an open door, a warm welcome and an open heart, then nothing will happen. Of course, I will engage others; we will quickly build things together, the future will emerge, for better or worse.”
Host Leadership defines six new roles leaders should employ in the engagement of others. Adopt the positions for a Host Leader, understand how to apply hosting strategies in your organization, and become a leader with a highly tuned sense of relationship building. Understanding how to engage with people is the ultimate backbone of success.
The smart ones eventually realize that the role of the leader is more like a host than a hero and entails drawing people together around an issue or challenge, engaging them, and getting results through others.” — Mark McKergow
6. Flexibility to listen as much—or more than—talk
Just because CEOs are the ultimate decision-makers in most situations about their companies, does not mean their opinions are the only ones that matter. Employees will be far more productive in environments where the CEO shows a willingness to listen to any views—and actively asks for them through something as simple as a suggestion box-style submission process, or as in-depth as a series of personal interviews.
Your approach to understanding problems and generating solutions is based on the following behavioural competencies:
- Communicates Clarity
- Reasons Critically
- Seeks Innovation
- Thinks Conceptually
Concluding thoughts
We have more than 300 leadership position benchmarks and identified the behavioural traits and competencies for each. The traits required to be an association executive vary significantly from being a CEO of a billion dollar corporation. We like to bundle attributes in a handful of items neatly. However, while it makes for interesting reading, we are far more complicated than that. We also identify seven leadership patterns.
Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results, not attributes." — Peter Drucker
While agreeing with Mr. Drucker that traits do not produce results, they are an excellent predictor of how likely an individual is to exceed expectations.
The Cardinal Rule of Psychology:
All behavior is caused and the causes are multiple, complex and inter-related.”
We can make this prediction with 85 percent reliability if done comprehensively and for a specific role. Not all leaders excel in every leadership role.
The SuccessFinder - the science of people – behavioural and career assessment system is founded on the premise that you, and the dynamics of your everyday behaviour, that differentiates you as a unique personality type, are certainly as complex as the modern scientific model of natural chemistry.
SuccessFinder model fully 85 statistically distinct human behaviors – not too far from the 96 natural chemical elements in complexity and 35 Broad career Themes – thus totalling 125 distinct statistically derived human variables.
