Leadership Traits of a CEO - Essay Example

In todays world, the success of all organizations is dependent on the leadership as well as the management. As chief executive officer of any company there is need for one to have the characteristics and traits of a leader. Leadership encompasses an individuals ability to guide others towards a set goal or objective. Leadership has an array of definition and understanding depending on the region. For instance, in the United States of America, leadership is a process that is governed by social influence in that a common task can be accomplished through the help and support of others in the same establishment. On the other hand, European definition takes on a non-academic approach stating that a leader is someone who despite focusing on overall communitarian objectives is also motivated by personal thirst for power.

The definition of leaders or leadership in general over the years has been based on various factors including power, values, traits exhibited by a person, situational interactions, charisma as well as vision and function. People who are curved out to be leaders tend to stand out from the crowd in the way they associate with others. for a person to be effective as a chief executive officer there is need to be assertive, authentic in that they have a better understanding of who they are in terms of personality qualities. There is also need for one to be emotionally stable, and open to experience, conscience and be willing to go out share ideas and be more accommodative of new ideas as well.

Emotional intelligence is yet another trait that any leader needs to possess, as it enables them to have a better understanding of people. Effectiveness is revealed in communication as well as decoding emotions of others, thus knowing the appropriate action to take (Dubois et al. 2015). Higher intelligence is another trait to be able to be more effective in a leadership position, this is showcased by superior judgement, quick learning skills and the urge to be more knowledgeable. in the case of the CEO of the consumer technology corporation, the fore mentioned attributes are of essence to the smooth running of the organization.

There are various leadership styles that a person can choose from in order to provide direction for those under him, for the purpose of implementation of plans as well as motivation. In order for one to be good in the leadership position in which they are appointed, it needs a combination of personality coupled with experience and philosophy. In as much as different situations and positions call for different styles of leadership there is need to apply certain styles for the organization to thrive. With the availability of various leadership styles such as autocratic, participative, laissez-faire and task oriented, as the head of a well-established organization in the field of consumer technology, there is need adopt one that will help the corporation reach its main objectives (Dubois et al. 2015).

Situations tend to vary in an organization, as a CEO there is need to vary the leadership styles but also putting into consideration of the duties of the people under you. For a technology company, task oriented leadership style is most appropriate coupled with participative and authoritarian. Human beings are social in nature and thus there is need people to come together and discuss whenever a problem arises in the line of work. In the field of technology advancements keep coming up with every wake, this in turn keeps corporations on toes, the CEO ought to be more focused on the production. Keeping the corporation on top by ensuring that results are brought forth and targets met in the required time frame. As the head of the organization, there is need to be social as means to get to know what the employees want as well the consumers.

The skills needed for a CEO include confidence in the way one carries themselves in order to gain respect, integrity is of importance as it is the mirror of the companys image in the eyes of the employees and consumers. Innovation and passion is another skill in the field of technology. Patience goes a long in getting the best out of employees and customers.

Being a leader calls for the need of attention in all aspects concerning the smoothing running of the organization. Tasks are the operations through which products and services are made. The performance of these tasks depend entirely on the leadership of the organization. There is need to look keenly at the production side of the corporation, in the process solutions are generated step by step for any arising problems thus preventing such from escalating and becoming crises. With tasks there are timeframes that need to be adhered to, as result the deadlines are met and results realized coupled with targets. As fore mentioned people are social by nature and thus tend to thrive more in environments that favors this.

As a leader there is need to invest more in the relationships among the people who work or contribute to the corporation. The well-being and satisfaction of employees in the organization will have a positive impact on the overall performance of the corporation (Demirtas, and Akdogan, 2015). Communication is the leeway through which people get to have a better understanding of each other as well as what is needed of them by the organization in terms of the realization of the set objectives. With good relationships among the people, trust will be cultivated, confidence will be built, people will be appreciated and at the end the corporation will benefit most because of the motivation. The main point of attending to both tasks and relationships is that, production goals and objectives are met within the given time frame and on the other side employees are satisfied and motivated because their well-being is looked after well through support.

With the establishment of organizations there are visions, missions and objectives that are intended to be met. As a leader it is ones role to ensure that all the employees get to understand and internalize the main goals of the organization and the need to strive and achieve them. When a leader follows the vision of a company, the people within have to emulate and follow suit in the bid to achieve the set goals. Communicating about the same vision and setting the tone enables the leader have an ample time to reach the goals within the set time frame. Setting the tone is a clear way of communicating to the people how serious the matter is and thus making it of high priority among the employees.

For instance, the consumer technology corporation aims at making life easier through the use of technological advancement for the customers. Meeting production goals and deadlines is a clear indication of the people having understood the vision as well as following the rules set down by their leader. The leader also ought to show assertiveness, initiative as well as intelligence when setting the tone for employees to follow. These traits at the end help fuel the motivation among the people as they strive to be like their leader.

For every individual communication is important. Interpersonal and intrapersonal communication skills come in handy in the instance of being in a leadership position. In order for a leader to reach out to other people especially those subordinate, it is key to first of all create a rapport that will enhance the communication process. People are motivated by various things when it comes to work, some opt for good relationships at work, some higher pay while others it is position of power over others. when a leader has an understanding of each of his/her members aspects of motivation it becomes easier to reach out to them as a group and individually. When a leader is charismatic they tend to be liked by people but this should be accompanied by assertiveness.

A CEO should be approachable in the sense that when a problem arises with regard to the corporation, people can get to him and they find a solution together. In light of conflict solution and overcoming obstacles, a leader out to learn the skills of resolution of conflict. Interpersonal skills are of help in such situations, getting to understand where the conflict starts is key to finding a lasting solution. Most of the fore mentioned leadership traits are often used in this process. Obstacles are always anticipated in all organizations, as they help in strengthening the establishment.

Integrity is standing on and for the truth at all times. As a CEO there is need to have integrity at all times as it states a lot about an individual as well as the corporation. The leader alongside the employees of any given organization are the mirror image and thus speak a lot about the company. Fairness and being just are one of the traits a leader should possess (Demirtas, and Akdogan, 2015). Respect for others goes a long way in ensuring ethics are adhered to in any organization. There is need to be value driven when it comes to making the final decisions in the corporation. Technology keeps changing and advancing every day, decisions made ought to be of relevance and value to the investment. There is need to be a leader by example through encouraging initiative from others to expand in their thinking and work.

In organizations whereby the leader is ethical in every stance, employees tend to be committed to the goals as they view such people as principled decision makers (Demirtas, and Akdogan, 2015). Honesty tends to favor leaders, this means they stay true to what is right without compromising on anything else. At the end of the day the corporation still gets to meet all the targets set.

References

Demirtas, O. and Akdogan, A.A. (2015). The effect of ethical leadership behavior on ethical climate, turnover intention and affective committement. Journal of Business Ethics. Springer

Dubois, M., Hanlon, J., Koch, J., Nyatuga, B., Kerr, N. (2015). Leadership styles of effective project managers: techniques and traits to lead high performance teams. Journal of economic development, management, I T, finance and marketing; Beverly Hills 7(1), 30-46