When it comes to leading your company and being a successful executive, there are certain skills that you should strive to develop if you want to get ahead of the game.
While there are several qualities of highly successful executives, these 10 stand out as some of the most important aspects of the job.
Here are 10 characteristics of successful executives, so you can see what you may need to work on to ensure that you rise above your peers.
1. Self-motivation
The most successful people find motivation from within. Motivation is not always clear and may not be what others would define as happiness or success. You must find your motivations and do what works for you because success often comes to those most self-motivated.
You are self-motivated when you can set your own goals, work without someone looking over your shoulder to see if you’re doing a good job and keep working no matter what happens.
Truly successful people never quit when they encounter obstacles; they find a way around or through them and keep going. Self-motivated people never give up on themselves because they know the power that comes from commitment and persistence. They believe in their ability to accomplish anything.
2. Positive Attitude
Executives must have a positive attitude to stay motivated and keep the team motivated. Staying focused on what needs to be done, setting goals, and completing those goals with a positive mindset can help the rest of the team see how they should act to get the most out of their work.
A positive attitude leads to success. When you can stay motivated and set goals while enjoying life along the way, you’ll notice that your career will blossom.
An important skill for any executive is self-motivation and self-discipline, leading them to control their destiny rather than letting others dictate it.
You may also want to study other successful executives such as John D Rockefeller, who built his empire from scratch through persistence despite many failures before he found success.
3. Expert Communicator
Communication is a crucial aspect of any successful executive. However, not all executives are natural-born communicators, often honing these skills throughout an executive career.
Communication isn’t just about talking to people, though. To be a successful communicator, one must be a strong listener and adapt their communication style to fit the people they are communicating with.
Good communication skills go a long way. Effective executives can efficiently convey information, knowledge, and messages to the rest of the company. They are strong communicators and often use humor to get their points across.
4. Good Time Management Skills
Managing time effectively can be a challenging task for many executives. There are many different methods and philosophies, but managing your time is ultimately up to you.
How you plan your days and weeks can determine your success in your personal and professional life. These are some methods that successful executives use to make the most out of their day:
- Keep a reliable calendar (desktop, mobile, or paper). Highly successful executives don’t overbook themselves. Instead, they schedule everything they need to do daily at certain times. They know how long it takes them to complete tasks and will give themselves ample time to do them.
- Use all available resources for getting things done quickly, including online calendars and phone apps.
5. Drive to Achieve Success
To be a successful leader, it’s important to maintain an undying sense of determination. No matter what life throws at you, it would help if you moved forward and never gave up on your goals and dreams.
If you do that, you’ll always be seen as a winner by those around you.
6. Stays Positive in Stressful Situations
Focusing on things you can control is key to remaining positive in stressful situations.
The sooner you shift your focus, the sooner you’ll be able to find creative solutions and feel better about the situation. Plus, staying positive will help you think more clearly and rationally.
7. Hardworking
To be a successful executive, you need to be hardworking and dedicated. Successful executives don’t give up when they come across an obstacle. If they are blocked in one direction, they will find another way.
They push themselves and their teams hard enough to get the job done. It’s important for them never to stop pushing or striving to better themselves.
Successful executives don’t just think about short-term gains. Instead, they are constantly thinking about the future and the different possible paths that could lead there.
8. Works Effectively Under Pressure
Successful executives are the quintessential people who can work well under pressure. They can remain calm, stay focused, and not freak out, even when chaos surrounds them.
Executive can see the problem and devise a way to fix it without letting their emotions get in the way. They don’t panic and do what needs to be done.
They know that if they can remain calm while others around them are losing theirs, they will be successful as an executive.
9. Delegation of Tasks
Different people have different skills, and successful executives know this. They know that delegating tasks is a great way to create balance in their lives, and it’s a crucial part of leading a team.
When you are working on something yourself, you may not be able to see the big picture. In addition, when an executive has delegated tasks, they can concentrate on their strengths and take on more challenging projects.
10. Supportive
Many successful executives are focused on supporting the growth and success of those around them.
Being team-oriented, generous with their time, eager to share their knowledge, and tenacious in achieving goals are just a few ways that highly successful executives help others reach their full potential.
Conclusion
Great leaders not only possess one or two of these qualities but many. What does this mean for you? To be a successful executive, work on developing these characteristics or you can always get expert help through talk therapy about your career.
If you’re already successful with six or seven of the ten qualities covered, the others are your opportunities for growth and development.