Essential Skills Every Successful CEO Must Have
Skills of a successful CEO
An integrated guide that draws a clear roadmap for everyone who assumes executive leadership responsibility. From defining roles and competencies, to building teams and creating influence.
Who is the CEO?
The CEO is the highest authority in the facility, and he is the authority from which everyone’s powers emanate. He sets the organization’s policies, directions, and strategic plans, makes decisions, solves problems, and performs all four management functions. In addition, it constitutes the interface of the facility and the link between multiple parties.
Board of Directors and facility
It represents the link between the directions of the Board of Directors and their operational applications on the ground.
Clients and partners
It represents the organization to its clients and strategic partners, and consolidates its mental image in the market.
The four management functions
Planning, organizing, directing, and controlling – all of them are practiced in an integrated and balanced manner.
Comprehensive powers
The powers of all administrative levels are derived from his powers, making him the first decision-making authority.
CEO goals
From his leadership position, the CEO is responsible for achieving a set of interlocking strategic goals that together shape the organization’s identity and competitiveness.
Establishing a clear vision and long-term plans for the facility.
Selecting competencies, developing their performance and constantly raising their productivity.
Formulating the bylaws and regulations that regulate the workflow within the facility.
Redrawing organizational structures and improving processes to achieve maximum efficiency.
Setting quality standards and developing the human resources and service system.
Improving the facility’s image among customers, partners and society.
Daily duties of the CEO
If goals paint the big picture, then daily duties are the fabric from which that picture is made. Among the most prominent tasks that the CEO performs daily are:
| the duty | Description |
|---|---|
| Follow up on the implementation of goals | Continuous verification of the path to achieving goals and overall performance |
| Keeping up with the changes | Paying attention to changes in the internal and external environment and adapting to them |
| Guidance and supervision | Directly supervising work progress and directing teams towards goals |
| Chairing meetings | Managing working sessions and ensuring effective decisions are produced |
| Postal business | Finalizing official correspondence and ensuring institutional communication |
| Interviewing major clients | Building strategic relationships with decision-makers and influential customers |
| Solve everyday problems | Rapid intervention and addressing operational obstacles to work |
| Review periodic reports | Analyze performance indicators and make appropriate decisions based on them |
The fourteen CEO competencies
Competence is not just a skill that is practiced, but rather an integrated combination of knowledge, behavior, and ability to perform in different circumstances. The following are the most important competencies that a successful executive director needs:
Influence is not just an additional competency, but rather the pivotal competency with which all other competencies intersect. A leader who lacks the ability to influence finds himself faced with a mass of papers and powers without a spirit to move them.
CEO challenges
Executive reality does not always resemble what plans and theories depict. The CEO often finds himself facing deep-rooted challenges that require patience, intelligence, and a strong will to overcome.
ancient legacy: Inheriting entrenched work methods and mindsets that resist change.
Sterile structure: Rigid organizational structures that do not serve the objectives of the stage.
Frustrated or conflicted team: The phenomenon of paralysis and internal conflicts that drain energy.
Negative mental image: A negative legacy of the facility in the minds of customers and the public.
Bound HR system: Outdated policies that do not enable attracting appropriate talent.
Bureaucracy of decisions: Long decision cycles slow down response to variables.
Complex procedures: Complex systems and processes burden both employees and customers.
The answer begins with an honest diagnosis of reality before embarking on change. Whoever knows his exact location can clearly plot the exit route.
The five CEO roles
In his working day, the CEO embodies five overlapping roles, none of which can be completed in isolation. If he mastered all these roles, he would be a complete leader. If he violates any of them, those who work with him will feel it before he feels it.
The leader
- impact
- Decision making
- Problem solving
Administrative
- planning
- to organize
- directing
- Censorship
Service
- Service policies
- Customer satisfaction
- Selling and marketing
Excellence
- Quality flavour
- Competitive limit
- Continuous improvement
Relationships
- Humanity
- Social
- Formal and informal
The role of the CEO in all its paths is based on three fundamental axes: Impact — who inspires the team and creates commitment, andDecision making — which governs the course of the establishment at moments of choice, andProblem solving — who embodies the ability to turn obstacles into opportunities.
── Leadership dimension ──
Leadership dimension
“If three people go out on a journey, let them appoint one of them.”
– Narrated by Abu Dawud on the authority of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, may God be pleased with him
Leadership was never an organizational luxury, but rather a human necessity that Islam recognized before modern management theories discovered it. Leadership is defined as Move people towards the goalIt requires the presence of three indispensable elements:
The difference between presidency and leadership
A position granted
- You get it through formal appointment and selection
- Related to job location
- It ends when the job ends
Earned position
- You get it by truly influencing others
- Associated with personality and presence
- It remains even after the leader has passed away
The Seven Thoughts of the Leader
The idea of the three heights
An outstanding leader can see the world from three heights at the same time, and this ability to move between levels is what distinguishes a true leader from a traditional manager.
Theory X and Y
Management scientist Douglas McGregor developed his famous theory to classify managerial attitudes toward employees, which is an important starting point for every executive who wants to understand his style of dealing with his team.
Restrictive view of man
- People naturally don’t like to work
- They must be forced and monitored in order to work
- They do not like to take responsibility and prefer direction
The empowering view of man
- People naturally make effort and strive for achievement
- They have the ability to self-direct and monitor
- They seek to take responsibility themselves
The impact of your theory on your leadership behavior is greater than you imagine. A leader who believes in Theory
Commander’s rules
There are unwritten laws that leaders discover through long experience and practice. Below are the most prominent ones:
A leader is like a heart in a body
If the leader is righteous, the establishment is reformed, and if he is corrupt, then corruption is general. When you notice any deterioration in the conditions of a facility, find the leader first.
Your impact extends after you are gone
You become a role model and those close to you seek to imitate your behaviors, words, and actions. True influence is not measured by position, but rather by what remains of your impact on the souls of those you lead.
Who are you really?
- Who are you? (personality)
- Who do you know? (relations)
- What do you know? (knowledge)
- What are your experiences? (experience)
- What did you achieve? (achievements)
- What can you check? (ability)
Wisdom in mediation
Between emotion and logic – between mercy and justice – between work and life – between reward and punishment – between severity and softness – between friendship and position.
Eight looks of the leader
- interior (ship)
- External (time and direction)
- upper (weather condition)
- bottom (rocks)
- Background (risks)
- Far (future vision)
- Nearby (stations)
- Comprehensive (plans and scenarios)
Choose who you associate with carefully
Before bringing someone into your inner circle, ask: Does he fit in with the team? Does he have the required qualifications? Is it a real addition?
The leader’s journey through time
Learning – Gaining knowledge and experience.
Earning – Achieving results.
Returning — Giving back to the community and facility.
Determine your priorities
Family – religious – financial – scientific – social – psychological – professional – health. Balancing these axes is the key to sustaining leadership performance.
Characteristics of an effective team — PERFORM model
Common purpose and goal
Real empowerment
Building relationships
Flexibility in dealing
Perfect performance
Appreciation and recognition
High morale
── Administrative dimension ──
The administrative dimension: planning, structuring and goals
If the leadership dimension shapes the soul, the administrative dimension builds the body. It includes a system of tools and models that transform strategic directions into an executable and measurable operational reality.
Management levels
The CEO’s scope of work includes all levels of the administrative hierarchy:
Situation Evaluation — SWOT Analysis
The clock and compass are the executive’s basic tools: the first determines the available time, and the second determines the correct direction. Before drawing up plans, it is necessary to accurately diagnose the situation through SWOT analysis:
- Advanced infrastructure
- Well established public relations
- Significant market share
- Qualified human resources
- Continuous training and development
- Effective systems and procedures
- Capital and technology
- Loyalty and institutional affiliation
- Obsolete products or services
- Weak competitiveness
- Weak demand for services
- Ignorance of regulations and laws
- Weak incentives and marketing
- Lack of skills and competencies
- Poor trust between employees
- Insufficiency in communication channels
- Serving the Two Holy Mosques
- Islamic law as a reference
- A government supportive of investment
- Promising new markets
- Technical and digital boom
- Effective and widespread communications
- Weakness of some competitors
- Regulatory and legislative obstacles
- High unemployment rates
- Economic recession or inflation
- Growing power of competitors
- Market uncertainty and fluctuations
Sources of goals
Before formulating goals, you should know where they come from. No real goal is born out of nowhere, but is derived from:
SMART goal
A smart goal is not just a wish or wish, but rather a condition that makes every goal implementable, measurable, and follow-up. The more SMART the goal is, the higher the chances of achieving it.
It is necessary to differentiate between two types of goals: General objectives It is long-term, non-quantifiable, and relates to senior managementSpecific goals It is short-term, measurable with clear criteria and includes all levels of management.
A successful CEO is not satisfied with one scenario. Creating several scenarios gives him a wider margin of choice in case of surprises, and makes decisions to adapt to changes faster and more confident.
Structuring and restructuring (engineering)
Business Process Reengineering is not just a reduction in employees, but rather a radical journey towards eliminating old methods and exploiting resources for newer and more efficient uses. It is based on three main axes:
- Eliminate low-value activities: Every activity that does not add value to the customer should be reviewed and deleted or improved.
- Outsourcing what can be outsourced: Services that can be provided at a lower cost or higher quality through third parties.
- Improving strategic activities: What cannot be attributed is improved with the Odesia model of reducing costs and increasing quality.
── Delegation and empowerment ──
Delegation and empowerment
One of the most common mistakes executives make is to believe that delegating tasks means giving up authority. In fact, intelligent delegation is the most powerful tool for leadership expansion.
The Pareto principle of delegation
The Pareto Principle (80/20) is useful in understanding how to distribute leadership effort, as it explains that focusing on what creates the greatest impact is the essence of executive effectiveness.
Keep 20% of tasks
Activities can be confidently delegated and assigned to the team
Delegation reversal — when a task returns unresolved
When the delegated person fails to perform the task, it is presented to the manager as a problem that consumes more time than it would have taken him if he had accomplished it himself. There are three reasons for this: mis-selection of the appropriate person, lack of real empowerment, or personal reasons that hinder performance.
What cannot be delegated
As much as delegation is recommended, there are tasks that the CEO should keep to himself and not give up easily:
- Relationships with major strategic clients
- Strategic plans for the facility
- Major financial approvals
- Appointment and dismissal decisions
- Promotions, incentives and exceptional rewards
── Service Strategy ──
Establish a service strategy
“O you who have believed, fulfill your contracts”
— Surah Al-Ma’idah, verse 1
The service strategy is not just a brochure or a logo hanging on the office wall, but rather an integrated and distinctive way of providing the service that achieves high benefit for the customer and enhances the mental image of the facility. If you don’t have a service strategy, get one.
Advertisements, promises, and slogans all constitute an implicit price that the establishment promises to the customer, thus raising his expectations. If reality falls short of the level you promised, the result will be a double loss: loss of the customer and loss of trust.
The Six Service Symphony
The elements of distinguished service are integrated into a harmonious symphony that is not complete without any of its strings:
Strategic customer segmentation
Not all customers are equally strategically important, and understanding this distinction determines how effort and resources are allocated:
Go down to the field
It is not enough for a successful CEO to manage from behind his desk; the field is where the most accurate and correct decisions are born. Methods for entering the field include:
- Regular inspection tours of methods of dealing with customers.
- Instant and field opinion polls.
- Effective response to indicators of dissatisfaction.
- Accept criticism and admit mistakes.
- Constantly striving to correct shortcomings and improve them.
Service crimes—what destroys the relationship with the customer
There are behaviors that are not tolerated in a distinguished service environment, because they destroy in an instant what was built over years:
── The human and social dimension ──
The human and social dimension
Building a successful CEO is not complete without a solid human dimension. Ultimately, management is the art of dealing with humans, and every tool, every system, and every decision passes through a human being who carries feelings, expectations, and dignity.
Etiquette and protocol
Etiquette is being courteous and behaving respectfully with everyone — clients, colleagues, partners, subordinates, and superiors. The protocol is the diplomatic system that governs the etiquette of relations and negotiation in official contexts.
Speak with your eyes
Looking into the eye of the person being addressed indicates respect and self-confidence, and the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, would not look away until the other person was the one who looked up first.
Gentleness in dealing
“It is because of God’s mercy that you were kind to them, and if you had been rude and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you.” – Softness is not weakness, but rather true leadership strength.
Slow down and gentle
“O God, whoever is entrusted with the affairs of my nation and is difficult for them, then be harsh with them, and whoever is entrusted with the affairs of my nation and is kind to them, then be kind to them.” — Gentleness in administration is an acquired mercy.
Facial fluency
“The first affection is a fluent face, the second is courtship, and the third is meeting people’s needs.” A smiling face is the first level of true service.
Work ethics in Islam
“O you who have believed, fulfill your contracts”
— Surah Al-Ma’idah, verse 1
“God loves that when one of you does a job, he does it well.”
– An honorable hadith about mastery and quality
“The master of the people is their servant while traveling.”
– Narrated by Al-Tabarani and others, regarding the virtue of serving others
Dealing with errors
Human error is not one homogeneous mass, and justice requires that we differentiate between its types before issuing judgments:
Intentional error: Intentional violation with full awareness of it.
defaulter error: Negligence and laziness led to a mistake.
Mujtahid’s mistake: He tried his best but miscalculated – he’s sorry.
forced error: He made a mistake under pressure of necessity.
The wronged person’s mistake: He was forced to make a mistake.
Error of ignorance: He committed the violation without even knowing it.
Royal stage — the highest level of personal maturity
When you reach the royal stage…
- Don’t get into any pointless arguments.
- Don’t try to prove others wrong because they don’t matter that much to you.
- You know that the speaker is a liar and you let him lie without stooping to his level.
- You realize that you cannot fix the universe alone.
- Leave everything that bothers you behind you and move forward.
- You sleep full of your eyelids and walk while smiling.
- I am certain of fate and destiny, and that all matters are in the hands of God Almighty.
Diamond rules for acquiring morality
To conclude this human dimension, there are golden rules that form the CEO’s conscience and moral compass in every situation he encounters:
- Treat people as you would like to be treated — “And let him come to the people he likes to be come to.”
- Love for people what you love for yourself and hate for them what you hate for them.
- There is no excuse for insulting others, whatever the reasons.
- What you hate about other people’s behavior may be identical to what they hate about you.
- You are as others see you, not as you see yourself.
- Reforming motives and convictions automatically leads to reforming behaviors.
- Perform your duties before demanding your rights.
- Conditional morality is not morality — there is no value in a morality that disappears under pressure.
- 90% of others’ mistakes may be caused by you indirectly.
- Do not be complacent about small things, for they are the gradual path towards major sins.
- Do not measure your morals in prosperity – the real test is in crises and pressures.
- Relatives are more worthy of morals and good treatment than others.
- Do not sacrifice your morals for the sake of disciplining others.
- Manners with enemies are no less important than with friends.
- If you want to know the truth about your morals, examine them in privacy, when angry, when needed, when free of need, and when capable.
── Conclusion ──
In conclusion
A successful CEO is not the one who has the most powers, but rather the one who uses them well to serve the organization and those in it. He is the leader who thinks strategically, works with discipline, deals with humanity, inspires with his influence, and builds with his patience. These fourteen competencies, these laws, and these five dimensions – are not a ready-made recipe, but rather mirrors that help you see yourself clearly, and then develop yourself with will.
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