Our CEO Academy is coming up and it’s not only about the tips and tricks on how our CEO, Alex Rogers, does it, but other CEO’s throughout the channel will share their experiences on how they run their businesses. This is a must attend session for any CEO! So as I’m going through my articles, I see one on the 8 tips becoming a more successful CEO, and I figure this tied in nicely with our upcoming Academy.

  1. Don’t overschedule yourself

A Good CEO is usually firing away on all 8 cylinders, but that doesn’t mean he can’t experience burnout just like every other employee. CEO burnout is more common than not and this usually results from working in your company rather than on it. Now this doesn’t discredit the amount of work it takes to work on your business, however it takes a lot of time and energy to improve your business and be a visionary (this is why Alex is fishing, he needs a recharge too)!

  1. Immerse yourself in data

As Alex says, numbers don’t lie. If you present the facts and the numbers, there is no argument. Often times you can get caught up dreaming with a CEO and looking at the vision, which is great. However, there are times when he has to make quick decisions, so if you’re looking for fast approval or a quick decision to be made, present all of the facts and supporting data. This is the best ammunition to get your idea or project moving forward.

  1. Manage by walking around

Being present in the day to day operations isn’t always important for the CEO who is working on the business rather than in the business. However being in the building and walking around checking on departments can go a long way for office moral. I know most of the time when you’re walking through a department, it’s to seagull marketing or administration, however just a stroll through the building can boost office moral and provide that good office vibe that only the CEO can produce. Plus, if you’re the new guy, how cool is it to stand in the break room and make a cup of coffee and have a conversation with the CEO?

  1. Go on an email diet

Email will be the death of you (I’m sure at this point you’ve realized this). Try to delegate tasks accordingly. Is it a service issue, is there a technician or service manager that can better handle the request? How about sales, can this be something your top sales guy handles? Try to not only train staff, but clients as well on who is the proper person for different issues. Not all issues need to be taken up with the CEO, this is where escalation is important and differentiating roles.

  1. Maintain the personal touch

If you email Alex, you get a response from Alex. If you call Alex, you get Alex, not a secretary. In fact if you call our office you get a real live person on the phone. It’s the little personal touch that really makes all the difference

  1. Understand how your people cope with stress

Implementing DISC in our organization has made a night and day difference. Because each and every employee takes a DISC assessment, we know collectively how others cope with stress, how to spot it, and how to deal with it in the appropriate manner. This applies across the board, from our CEO to the receptionist.

  1. Read everything with your business in mind

This can be difficult for a CEO, but is very important. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. When you make decisions, think with the best interest of the company in mind. Take a step back and see if this is the best choice for not only you, but for the company as a whole.

  1. Hire people you trust, and let them do their jobs

This is probably one of the most important things you can do! I touched on this earlier in the blog and in order to finally stop working in your business, you need to position yourself to work on your business. Hire people you trust to do their jobs and then trust them to do their jobs! Sometimes the hardest thing is to let go and trust that you made the right choice in hiring. Hire people who meet the benchmarks you put in place and that have supporting DISC profiles, this will help to ensure you have the right person on the right seat on the bus.