It’s the dream of so many people in their careers to ascend the ranks and enter a position of authority. But with authority comes great responsibility: for top-ranking managers and CEOs, the company’s successes and failures ultimately rest on their shoulders.
As a leader, it’s important to keep the company’s needs first and foremost on your list of priorities. It’s not an easy thing to do — as a top leader, your time and energy will be split in many different directions and it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. Luckily, there are some ways to stay present and keep your workforce engaged.
Here are 12 things the best CEOs and managers do.
1. They listen.
The vision of leadership is often that of a person speaking to others — in fact, it’s the opposite. CEOs and business leaders do best when they listen to their customers and employees. Keeping an ear to the ground may help you make decisions you wouldn’t have otherwise thought of, especially now as technology and changing workforce trends are getting harder to navigate.
2. They don’t drag their heels.
No company rides through life without a few hiccups or stumbles along the way. As a leader, it’s your position to recognize those mistakes and address them swiftly. Leaders who drag their heels, especially in our 24/7 hyperconnected business environment, risk doing massive damage to their brand and reputation when they let problems balloon.
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3. They stay visible.
It’s normal at small companies for staff to see the CEO and top leadership day to day, but at larger companies, that’s all the more rare. While it’s unrealistic to imagine that top leaders will have time to spend loads of time walking through the corporate office, they should make it a priority to get as much facetime with employees as they can. Maybe they host town halls every month; maybe they keep some kind of open-door office hours. However they do it, it’s important that they build a connection with the people who work for them.
4. They ask for help.
It’s the leader’s job to set the vision and steer the company forward, but they can’t do it on their own hand. Business leaders need to hire and collaborate with people at all levels of the organization, keeping their eyes and ears open to better ways of doing things.
5. They highlight great performance.
The best CEOs and business leaders know that praise should be public and criticism should be private. If you’re in a top leadership role, take the time to learn about what the people who work for you are doing — find examples of success, and use them to share with the rest of the team. You’ll find that even those who aren’t recognized will find your attention to the everyday goings-on of the staff inspiring.
6. They focus on creating diverse, inclusive workplaces.
There’s more and more pressure on companies to do better in terms of creating more diverse and inclusive workplaces. Not only does it make sense from a social perspective, but it may help improve business overall: data from consulting firm McKinsey shows that companies with the most ethnically/culturally diverse boards worldwide are 43% more likely to experience higher profits.
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7. They make company culture a top priority.
Company culture has become an increasing focus for employers, especially in a tight labor market where employees are in the drivers’ seat. As a business leader, make it your business to create a company culture that lets people thrive. Hire the right people, overcommunicate company values and look for ways to be a shining example of the kind of culture you aim to create.
