CEOs at Work – Part 7 – Sum Up – Pharma Veterans’ Blog Post #544 by Asrar Qureshi

CEOs at Work – Part 7 – Sum Up – Pharma Veterans’ Blog Post #544 by Asrar Qureshi

Dear Colleagues!  This is Pharma Veterans’ Blog Post #544. Pharma Veterans welcome sharing of knowledge and wisdom by Veterans for the benefit of Community at large. Pharma Veterans Blog is published by Asrar Qureshi on WordPress, the top blog site. Please email to asrar@asrarqureshi.com for publishing your contributions here.

Continued from Previous……

We have gone through various aspects of CEO job. It is time to sum up this discussion.

The sum up of CEO role and responsibilities may be considered as follows.

CEO is the most important position in an organization. The importance arises out of his/her role and responsibilities. The following attributes are critical for a successful CEO.

Vision

Vision always comes from the top. It sets the direction of the organization which everyone else is obliged to follow. Clarity, soundness, and breadth of vision are its strengths. Communicating the next critical step should be done by the CEOs directly, not through a proxy. It is their vision, they envisioned it, they own it and no one else can talk about it with more conviction, understanding and passion.

Working with People

The CEOs have the choice to make themselves accessible to people or make themselves invisible. In present times, when the world is constantly changing, CEOs working with people become a great source of inspiration and motivation for people. The work shall be done by the concerned people, however, the presence, or a feeling of presence of CEOs expands the courage of staff manifold.

Influence

CEOs are the most influential persons in the organization. At their position, they control huge, if not all, resources. Every member of the staff defers to them. The use of this power requires judicious use to do networking within the organization and the ensure greater loyalty of staff. Unbridled power alienates people. 

Their agenda is followed by the staff and their directions are adhered to. CEOs make many decisions directly and even other decisions taken down the line are in the direction commanded by them.

Working with Internal and External Customers

CEOs are the only person where everyone from the staff reaches finally. They do work with their direct reports directly and many others indirectly as these are the internal customers. An office order is not always the solution to every problem. The staff which are the internal customers must be satisfied to ensure dedication. Similarly, CEOs also work with external customers such as important customers, agencies, regulators, financial institutions, and government departments. In Pakistan, the CEOs are unnecessarily implicated in certain things by the rules of business.

Decision Making

The number of decisions CEOs make is simply astounding. Everyone expects that for all situations, the CEOs would have an appropriate solution and decision. Decision making is mostly in response to things happening in a day’s work. This forms the bulk of decisions. Other decisions are taken to avert a future event or to create an opportunity, or to exploit an upcoming opportunity. The decision-making skill and capability are among the most required attributes of CEOs.

Presence

CEOs presence may be seen or felt almost everywhere in the organization. They get directly involved in critical jobs such as strategies, master plans, expansion plans, acquisitions, and mergers. Their presence can be felt in many other areas where the work is done following their guidelines. An effective CEO would have his/her mark all over the organization.

Personal Power

All leaders, and most of all the CEOs enjoy two kinds of power. One is the power conferred upon them by their official position which comes immediately upon taking charge. The other power is personal power which evolves over time and is determined by several factors related to how the CEOs carry themselves. Their capability, people-orientation, vision, fairness, even-handedness, trust, and commitment brings a clout for them which goes much beyond the official position. It makes them dear to people who would follow them, try to emulate them, and put their heart in the work they do.

Once again, it is reiterated that the CEOs are in a unique position to influence organizations and its people in numerous ways. The buck stops at them in most cases. It is true that it is always lonely at the top. Having said that, the CEOs should make time for thinking and working alone, but they do not have to be lonely.

To be Continued……

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https://hbr.org/2018/07/how-ceos-manage-time#how-ceos-manage-time