You don't become CEO overnight - this career builds step by step through the ranks of a company and requires a combination of hard work, perseverance and leadership traits and qualities. Read this article to learn the path to becoming one, and what you need to learn to stay on top.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: The Right Training
Step 1. To become a CEO, you need to study
Ideally, you should complete your university career, perhaps focusing your studies on the area relevant to the industry you hope to enter. On the other hand, do not fossilize, try to be flexible, since it is not certain that after graduation you will immediately get the job of your dreams.
- Many CEOs graduate, work for several years as employees, ascend, and then go on to a prestigious study program, such as a Masters degree. In short, you can join the company's workforce even though you haven't quite completed the training you had in mind.
- The larger the company you hope to ascend to, the more important it will be to attend (and graduate from) a good university. Obviously there are CEOs who haven't even graduated, but nowadays your best chance is to have a good education behind you, preferably international. This does not mean that you must necessarily study abroad: you can enroll in a good Italian faculty and then apply for a double degree and participate in international exchange programs to spend a semester or a year in a university in another country.
Step 2. Get interested in the world of economics
A CEO makes wise decisions for the company based on his or her financial knowledge. Of course you can study them on your own, but enrolling in a faculty with an economic address or one that contains exams of this type increases your chances.
When you join the company, take advantage of every opportunity offered to improve your financial knowledge through seminars, special courses and other events. A great CEO never stops learning and refreshing what he already knows
Step 3. Start making connections right from college
Attend business seminars and network at all possible events. Apply for an internship in a place where you can show off your leadership skills and goodwill. If they decline your application, try another company. Volunteer to support charities and attend events, which typically also host successful people. Long story short, start climbing the corporate ladder before you even start working.
Do not hesitate. It's never too early to start making the right impression on business leaders and local politicians. Someone might notice you and help you get your first real job or put in a good word for you at the right time
Step 4. As soon as you get a job that fits your qualifications, treat it as if you want to own the whole company
There are few employees who bring a sense of vitality and seriousness to their profession. Encourage your colleagues, be a team player and someone will surely notice you. Do what you can, and more, to show bosses that you are truly willing to do great things in your professional life.
Do your best to connect and have a friendly relationship with the company's top managers and anyone you meet throughout your career. Observe their way of acting and speaking. You can also ask someone to mentor you - if they say no, you can ask someone else. This tool is powerful and will boost your ascent. Executives tend to like who comes forward
Step 5. Don't lose flexibility
Ambition is a fundamental trait, some would even say vital, for a leader. This means, among other things, that you should be open to walking paths you never expected to find in front of you, from doing various tasks to being willing to relocate. If you take advantage of the chance to become a manager in a distant office, you will likely get the promotion because your colleagues may have had reservations about it.
- If you've worked in a company for a couple of years and don't notice any progress, check out job listings regularly and apply for a position that allows you to step forward. Many CEOs began their careers as junior managers and vice presidents in two or three companies before becoming the bosses of their own companies.
- Try to have an entrepreneurial spirit. CEOs and entrepreneurs share many characteristics and a person who plans to pursue one of the two careers may find himself filling the other role. If you see an opportunity in starting a business on your own and it seems like a better path to executive rank than you do now, change your path. Growing a successful company from the ground up will make all the difference on your resume.
Step 6. If you can, become a member of the board of directors of a reputable company
This grants you a valuable experience that you can use to interact with your company's commission once you become CEO. Nearly half of US CEOs were a member of a committee prior to this position.
Method 2 of 2: Being a Great CEO
Step 1. Understand what a CEO does
The CEO of a company is not necessarily the founder or owner; in fact, this figure does not necessarily correspond to that of the entrepreneur. He is not even an accountant or a simple employee. His job is to manage the company, monitor final decisions, resolve imbalances and keep everything on track to increase profit year after year. A good CEO is therefore a mix of entrepreneurship, willingness to take risks and think big, is participatory, is forward-thinking in managing money and human resources and is always willing to dig into the details until everything is perfect.
Step 2. Get experience
Most CEOs reach this position after years, sometimes decades, in the same industry or even the same company. When you reach the top, don't forget your roots. Use everything you know about your business to manage it as effectively as possible: distinguish between written regulations and rules of thumb; have contact with departments with which you no longer have a close relationship; attitude and belief among lower-level employees regarding corporate values.
Step 3. Lead the company based on your foresight
To be a great CEO, you need to exert control over your company by shaping the work environment so that you have a distinct and palpable culture. In other words, a great leader knows how to motivate his employees to make them feel part of something special and meaningful in its entirety. Your behavior and actions towards the workforce bring all levels of the company into synergy.
Ask your employees to give their best, but allow them to keep trying until they succeed - as long as they know how to do their job so that their success is always a great achievement. Promote productivity by encouraging them to take risks and make choices based on personal judgment; you always have the last word if they are not suitable for your business
Step 4. Be specific
While you can delegate many of the daily tasks to your employees, you see the company as a whole and how it breathes and changes over time. With that in mind, use what you see to communicate your plans and clearly and openly explain your decisions to workers. If they know what your vision for the business is, it will be much easier for them to help you achieve it.
Step 5. Don't lose connection with your employees
Never indulge in the illusion that the CEO lives and works in an ivory tower while the rest of the company is guided from above by your rules. A good CEO is always there - he visits each department, assists with homework, talks to employees, and listens to their opinions. Some of your time is spent planning and thinking for the long term, but you should also participate firsthand.
Be picky if you need to show someone how you want something done. Don't scold employees or intimidate them, show how a certain thing is done to make them learn, explaining the reasons for each step and the action along the way. A great CEO leads by example, not offense
Step 6. Your business strategy will have to influence all your choices
Once you become CEO, your business is the future of the company. You have to consider everything that has been shown to you so far and always be one step ahead of the others. How to keep staying on top? How to solve the problems? Always question yourself and you will be the best!
