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Leadership Excellence

“Excellence is never an accident,” once wrote Aristotle. In the book CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest, Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra outline six key areas that separate some of the top leaders in the world. Through their work coaching leaders, they narrowed down how these highly-effective leaders achieve results. Here are six characteristics of the world’s best CEOs: 

  1. Set the Direction: The world’s best CEOs create clarity around the direction of the company. The direction often includes the vision, but it also means the strategy to achieve the vision. That strategy means using the best people in positions for success. How effectively do you set the vision?
  2. Create Alignment: The world’s best CEOs develop organizational alignment. The alignment in the organization means making the environment a meaningful, connected place. Alignment for leaders also means developing accountability throughout the organization. Great leaders build and develop others who will help lead. How effectively do you create alignment in the organization?
  3. Mobilize Leaders: The world’s best CEOs optimize for results through mobilizing other leaders. They hire people that have both the right talent and the correct attitude to move the company forward. Effective leaders also develop a team-first mentality throughout the organization. How effectively do you mobilize leaders for success?
  4. Lead the Board: The world’s best CEOs consistently manage the board or impactful decision makers on a daily basis. Many of the best CEOs spend time meeting with their board in order to get feedback and insights into how to better manage the company. They also meet with individual members to discuss ideas. How effectively do you manage a board or people who make decisions?
  5. Connect with Stakeholder: The world’s best CEOs routinely develop relationships with stakeholders. In significant leadership roles, many factors push and pull decisions. Great CEOs are able to manage the many people who have opinions about their company or the product. They’re also able to handle any crisis by quickly communicating and taking feedback. How effectively do you build relationships with stakeholders?
  6. Improve Personal Effectiveness: The world’s best CEOs consistently and continuously develop their own skills. Many of the best leaders utilize coaching and feedback to improve. They also use inner circles to provide feedback on their work. How consistently do you focus on self-improvement? 

The world’s best CEOs share six key components that make them highly-effective. Although these leaders are highly skilled in key areas, they all have strengths and weaknesses. The best leaders know where to focus their time and energy in order to achieve sustained results. They also focus on continuously improving themselves to better lead their organizations. 

What are the characteristics of the world’s best leaders?