10 Myths regarding winning CEOs

If I may modification one factor regarding the digital age, i'd positively walk back the entire notion of user-generated content. The overwhelming majority of it's nothing however common nonsense propagated by pageview-hungry opportunists dead set create a buck. At best, it’s feel-good fluff. At worst, it’s complete B.S.
The problem is that individuals take it seriously. They suppose some silly habits, hacks, and overhyped fads square measure planning to create them winning entrepreneurs. Nothing can be clear of the reality. In my expertise, real business leaders don’t listen to any of that stuff, particularly these myths regarding CEOs:    
They’re extroverted leaders.
If something, we’re living within the golden age of introverts and geeks. no one would ever mistake the likes of Larry Page, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, or Charles Schwab for extroverts. The terribly notion that CEOs ought to be rockstar leaders WHO exude govt presence is nothing however a story.

They’re privileged.

CEOs don’t simply drop out of the sky into comfortable corner-office chairs. Most begin with nil and work their butts off for everything they bring home the bacon. Granted, some do come back from cash however not the bulk. If something, growing up with adversity offers you a bonus.
They’re social networkers.
The overwhelming majority of Fortune five hundred CEOs have completely no social-media presence whatever and people WHO do post and tweet don’t fuck a lot of. That’s simply the information. Anecdotally, all the CEOs i do know square measure manner too busy running their firms to pay a lot of time on social networks.

They envy their personal whole.

Whenever I tell people who real executives couldn’t care less regarding their personal brands, somebody inevitably brings up Mark Cuban or Donald Trump. once you’ve created your 1st billion you'll be able to self-promote all you wish, however that’s not planning to assist you get there. It didn’t facilitate them get there either.

They’re generalists.

This common story was most likely started by associate degree exaggerated conclusion from this text. the reality is, most winning entrepreneurs square measure exceptional in one field. Mark Zuckerberg and Gates square measure coders. Buffett and Schwab square measure monetary wizards. Granted, each corporate executive I’ve best-known is business savvy however, frankly, that’s not rocket science.

They have high EQs.

Perhaps the foremost overhyped story of the day is that emotional intelligence is prognostic of leadership performance. Not solely has that link been powerfully oppose by researchers, it’s not in the slightest degree clear that rating high on notoriously subjective combining weight tests is even a decent factor. i feel a stimulating idea was hijacked by opportunists and was a fashion. It’s really unhappy what number folks have bought into the promotional material.
They scan countless business books.
Most square measure well-read however not the popular self-help-style books that square measure all the fashion of late. They’re even as possible to be shoppers of classic literature, fantasy, philosophy, and accounts of historic figures and firms as something resembling trendy business books.

They’re positive thinkers.

I know CEOs WHO square measure typically optimistic, demoralised, and everything in between. principally they’re realistic – a minimum of the nice ones square measure. and that they don’t over-think things. Rather, they trust their gut and that’s what helps them create good choices. In any case, specializing in the positive will occasionally facilitate however it will even as simply cause self-delusion and utopian thinking that holds you back.

Their personal habits create an enormous distinction.

Every extremely accomplished corporate executive I’ve best-known worked his tail off and had his own specific manner of obtaining things done. No 2 worked a similar manner. a lot of significantly, they were all remarkably effective at prioritizing what was important and specializing in what mattered – creating killer product that customers love. Personal habits didn’t create them winning. Doing nice work created them winning.

They’re awful communicators.

Some CEOs avoid communication just like the plague whereas others over-communicate. those WHO square measure effective communicators keep their sphere of influence comparatively tight, speaking principally with workers, customers, and investors. All-employee emails and all-hands virtual conferences square measure immensely overrated. In some ways, they are doing a lot of hurt than sensible.
Perhaps the most important story of all is that the latest and greatest crowd-pleasing notion that anyone is a pacesetter simply by virtue of a corporate executive title, a blog, and a few Twitter followers. Please. line of work yourself a corporate executive doesn’t cause you to one. Real leaders have firms, employees, and customers -- not delusions of grandeur.