You need many skills and qualities, some of them deeply personal indeed. Your beliefs and values matter.
What do you think being a good leader means? Our own personal experiences and personality traits determine how we view this. So think about what beliefs make a person an ideal candidate for a role or position, an article on the blog of the Center for Creative Leadership assures us.
Desirable and often necessary personal skills
A candidate has to be relaxed when in the spotlight, especially for a CEO position. He or she must handle public speaking well and be able to think strategically. Character matters as well. Integrity and high self-regulation is crucial. It's also very helpful when the person is open to new ideas.
The most desirable factors in terms of personal traits often vary over time. It depends on what the people in charge of appointing a C-suite candidate expect or perceive as what they need the most. The organization has its own needs, often based on the situation in the market or the organization itself.
Another factor is company culture, which may easily disqualify some candidates, because they wouldn’t be able to function effectively in the environment. Also personal interactions with a potential CEO can play its role.
Your influence and network count
Especially CEOs, but also other C-suite roles, need to exercise their influence outside the organization. They need to be able to reach and interact with certain key individuals in the industry. These are the media, government officials, and important and influential bankers, etc.
An important part of these networks are often other leaders in the industry because contacts with their peers help CEOs and other top leaders to better assess critical market conditions or have a say when regulatory actions are coming.
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