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Being a member of the C-suit in a company is a huge task. So much is expected from you and this expectation can be overwhelming. According to Investopedia, the C-suite refers to a company’s top management positions, where the “C” stands for “chief.” Various chief officers (e.g., CEO, CIO, CFO, etc.) are the occupants of the C-suite. These individuals, while highly paid and influential managers, are still employees of the firm.
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Being an executive is different from other types of business leaders. Low- and mid-level directors need certain abilities to succeed, however, their jobs remain somewhat hands-on — they deal directly with their subordinates and work toward the completion of concrete projects for clients and the company. Conversely, chief executives keep the entire company running, which needs a different way of thinking about and responding to problems, let alone a different list of day-to-day responsibilities. In this article, I share 3 powerful skills that make you a successful Chief Executive.

  • Self-awareness

Plato a 5th-century Greek philosopher echoed it loud and clear “man, know thyself”. This famous aphorism is powerful. Before you can conquer obstacles, you must first conquer yourself by knowing who you truly are. Having mastery over yourself is like knowing at least 95 percent about yourself, such as your strengths, weaknesses, likes, passions, dislikes, drives, dreams, aspirations, and the courage to exhibit yourself and what you want. Self-awareness is about defining yourself to everyone and declaring your stand on everything. You are rarely caught in between two opinions or second-guess yourself. Studies have shown that people who profess self-awareness as a characteristic tend to be more creative and more confident; they make sounder decisions, build stronger relationships and communicate more effectively. Knowing yourself gives the following benefits:
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  • Due to the probability of not receiving feedback, having an instinct of knowing yourself guides you to make sound decisions because it either has a negative or positive impact on the organization.
  • Self-awareness helps you to build expertise in a particular or group of subjects because you are operating from your place of strength. And where you are weak you can easily seek support.
  • Self-awareness helps in developing emotional intelligence (EI) which helps you to relate well and become people’s person.

  • Influence

Senior-level executives have numerous duties however, er influencing others is among the most important. As a C-suite you will be in n position to push your ideas occasionally, however, it takes influence to get people on board. In a case where you are not influential, you will rarely inspire confidence. Therefore, becoming influential is all about displaying empathy, courage, wisdom, and intelligence. When influence is developed, the C-suite executive can:
  • communicate effectively with your subordinates. When communication stems from the place of influence, there is harmony towards achieving a project;
  • negotiate with colleagues and subordinates, especially in a case where there a is a conflict of interest or closing a deal;
  • delegate duties to everyone without hassle with the power of influence. Noting fully well that as a C-Suite leader, you can get all the jobs done. Therefore, you’ll need the power of influence to get everyone up and running.
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  • Agility

Agility is providing quick solutions in the face of emergencies or taking charge of circumstances and trends. It is all about being flexible. The C-Suite presents ever-shifting circumstances that require executives to apply their knowledge and skill in new and unforeseeable ways. Being agile helps high-level business leaders identify needs, make decisions, and otherwise accomplish goals even when they are in unfamiliar territory. Developing agility helps you to:
  • develop change management skills. This is when the executive is capable of guiding the workforce through all sorts of change. 
  • become strategic in thinking and have a great deal of foresight. By developing agility you will be adept at forecasting and formulating plans based on forwarding thinking. It will make you adaptation-ready and also put in place coping mechanisms.
Featured Image Source: c-suitelounge.com
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This article was first published on 28th April 2022

nnaemeka-emmanuel

Nnaemeka is an academic scholar with a degree in History and International Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is also a creative writer, content creator, storyteller, and social analyst.

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