What qualities should a chief execu

What qualities should a chief executive as
a leader have?
A chief executive should have the ability to build teamwork
and build a team approach at every level of an organisation.
They should be able to make the most arduous
work interesting and create a good team spirit amongst
workers.
The chief executive should have the ability to:
• think deeply
• communicate clearly and openly
• implement and manage change
• project infectious enthusiasm and have a sense of
humour.
A successful chief executive will have a team of executives
and administrators who can think strategically and build
the corporate culture towards greater teamwork. They
will have the knowledge and ability to get results from the
individuals who make up the workforce. This is known
as action-centred leadership and is a means of realising
a company’s potential. This is a recognition of the need to
lead rather than merely manage. Some of the best organisations
are led by a team rather than an individual but
the team itself needs a leader. This is the core responsibility
of the chief executive.
Sir Raymond Lygo, former head of British Aerospace and
a former admiral in the Royal Navy, says:
.
“Management is the art of organisation, the art of
organising people and things to produce and
achieve objectives. Leadership is the ability to
inspire other men and women to achieve things
much greater than they would have done if they
were left to their own devices.”
All organisations that aspire to innovate need both leadership
and management to achieve productive order without
sacrificing freedom and creativity. Chief executives should
give their organisations a sense of direction and a clear vision
of the future. They should also be able to guide their organisations
towards that clear vision

Motivation and innovation
Innovation will not happen without motivation. People must
want to innovate, they need to be enthusiastic and interested
in the subject at hand. It is important to recruit people who
have the potential for this. This type of person tends to be
adventurous and independently-minded. Young people are
often more future-orientated and open to new experiences,
with fewer preconceptions and assumptions.
Therefore, it is good for organisations to recruit intelligent,
enthusiastic and creative young people who have a willingness
to put new ideas into practice.

Characteristics to look for when
recruiting
• A superior general intelligence with an ability to store
and recall information
• A high degree of autonomy, self-sufficiency and selfdirection
• Relatively little gregariousness; creative thinkers tend
to be ambivert
• An independence of judgement and a resilience to
group pressure towards conformity in thinking
• A sense of honesty and the ability to express that
honesty
• A broad range of interests to stimulate the mind
• A special motivation to solve problems and to take up
the opportunities to do this
• A sense of curiosity and good powers of observation
• Dedication and commitment to projects
• An awareness of the purposeful unconscious mind
• An ability to hold many ideas together in creative
tension, without reaching a premature resolution.
But, remember, selection is a two way process. Creative
people are looking for an environment which allows
them to explore their talents and for those talents to
flourish. Otherwise they become stifled and frustrated.