The Hindu Business Line : CEO has to be like a top athlete

Being a CEO is one of the toughest jobs in the world, write Steve Tappin and Andrew Cave in The Secrets of CEOs ( www.nicholasbrealey.com). They caution that the CEO’s job is not a healthy ambition for many successful businesspeople because it requires exceptional levels of determination and resilience, as well as the ability to cope with stress and not let the role totally dominate your life.

“Just like being a top athlete, being a CEO requires that you are as close to your best as much of the time as possible,” the authors analogise.

“You have to be able to peak for the big points in a match, but also win a grand slam over a season.”

To do all this, you need to figure out how to increase your energy levels when necessary, and how to relax and recharge when you have the opportunity, the authors counsel.

They remind that building capacity requires you to push beyond your normal limits but then factor in time for recovery.

Alas, many people fail to include this recovery time and so find it difficult to build greater capacity, bemoan Tappin and Cave.

“At times of peak stress, most of us assure ourselves that we will take time off to de-stress completely. However, for most people the dips in activity are rarely as deep as the peaks.”

A critical piece of advice, therefore, from CEOs interviewed by the authors is to ensure you do take time to let your internal spring uncoil completely.

Leadership is lonely, observe Tappin and Cave.

“More than half the CEOs we surveyed say so. And most of the rest admit that they would be lonely if they hadn’t taken deliberate action to build the support networks they need.”

You have to play like the job is as important as life and death but recognise that it is not life and death, reads a piece of CEO wisdom cited in the book.

The authors discuss at length five main leadership approaches, as follows:
Commercial executors, who have a driving focus on achieving the best results in their industry, combined with a relentless attention to detail.
Financial value drivers, who aggressively pursue shareholder value. “They understand the metrics of their industry and are often highly skilled at identifying value-enhancing corporate transactions or realising value from portfolio dispersals.”
Corporate entrepreneurs, who always have something to prove. “They disrupt industries because they believe in a better way of doing things. They excel in spotting breakthrough opportunities and making them reality.”
Corporate ambassadors, who have a worldwide vision with a broad societal impact. “This involves operating at a geopolitical level and delivering transactions that transform industries.”
Global missionaries, who want to make a significant difference while making the company great. “They are typically customer champions and they lead by inspiring people and energising them to tap into their potential.”
Also through a site that accompanies the book ( www.theSecretsofCEOs.com), the authors offer guidance on leadership development.
A wealth of distilled insights.

D. Murali

BookPeek.blogspot.com

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CEO has to be like a top athlete