Are you destined for the boardroom?

High energy levels, desire to be in charge and the ability to cut through complexity are three of the key attributes that distinguish those destined to be CEOs from other executives. Certain traits can also lead CEOs to derail in their careers.

This includes getting too focused on micromanaging detail and not being able to express discontent and disagreement openly and directly.
These are just some of the findings from a recent Pulse on Leaders study carried out by Personnel Decision International (PDI) when it analysed data from a large group of leaders (9,226) (from senior executives to first-level leaders) and CEOs (148), in order to find out how CEOs are different from other leaders and what characteristics make them successful.

“We wanted to examine what the select few who make it to the top possess that others lack,” said PDI’s Simon Callow, managing director. “Today’s CEOs have the weight of the world on their shoulders – keeping a business viable and successful in changing economic circumstances, meeting board and shareholder expectations, and predicting consumer preferences that could change the direction of the company. This research gives us some insight into what it takes to lead at this level.”

According to the study CEOs demonstrated a higher ability to understand complex, ambiguous information by analysing and detecting systematic themes. Another trait that CEOs share is higher energy levels. Looking at any daily schedule of today’s CEOs makes it very clear why this is a necessary trait for success. Callow explained: “Not only do CEOs need to handle a hectic schedule, they need to naturally prefer an extreme amount of activity and not depend on downtime to recharge.”