How To Be A Great CEO In A Startup
You might think that being the CEO of a startup is just something that happens. You have an idea, you start to implement it, and you’re suddenly in charge of everything and everyone involved in your new business. Although technically this is what a CEO is all about, it takes much more than simply being the one that started it all to be a good CEO.
Remember, there are good CEOs and bad ones, and if you’ve been employed in the past you’ll probably have dealt with both types. The key to bear in mind is that a good CEO will turn that startup into something big, whereas a bad one will cause it to stay stagnant, or even shrink away to nothing.
If you want to be a good CEO in your startup, and you want to grow it rather than see it fail, then read on; here are some useful tips to help you.
Explain The Company Vision
When you began your business, you will have had a vision, a company goal, something to aim for. This ultimate end result isn’t something a good CEO will keep to themselves. They will need to (and want to) pass that dream and idea on to everyone who works for them, ensuring that all employees, no matter what their role is within the business, understand where the company is heading and – ideally – how to get there too.
It can be easy to become lost when you’re running a startup, but the CEO’s job is to continue to work towards those pre-determined goals throughout. Yes, there may be times when the goals have to change slightly, but this should be something the CEO can cope with.
By keeping hold of the company vision and instilling it into others, everyone will feel like a part of the team and will understand what their role within the whole means. Productivity will be better, and employee loyalty will be something you can rely on.
Learn On The Job
Many company CEOs didn’t even realize they were going into business. They just had an idea and thought about ways to make money from that idea, and eventually, that became the startup they are at the helm of today. This accidental leadership means that learning on the job can become part of your everyday life – and that’s perfectly fine. It’s certainly not something to be ashamed of or worried about. A good startup CEO will know where their weaknesses lie and will be willing to improve their knowledge to become a better boss.
A good startup CEO will want to know how every part of the business works, from the ground floor up. They will need to understand how equipment such as a roller conveyor or a piece of design software does its job and how to use it, just as they will need to understand finances and investments. A good CEO will continue to learn and utilize their knowledge to help the business.
Be Able To Say No
A good startup CEO must be able to say no when necessary to keep their business moving in the right direction. It can be tempting (not to mention easier) to say yes to every query, question, request, and opportunity that comes your way, but this can be detrimental to your business.
By saying yes to everything, you are making yourself (and possibly your team) extremely busy. You’ll also be stretching your resources. This means that the core of your business, growing it, can’t happen as effectively as if you were able to say no when you need to.
