17 Habits of Highly Successful CEOs

Successful CEOs across the globe can seem to be superhuman in the way in which they are capable of
achieving a lot despite having the same time as everyone else in a day. Different CEOs have different
approaches to the work they do. However, if you closely study their nature, there is an array of
similarities between all successful CEOs despite the different lines of work. They all depict certain
leadership trait that is evident from their habits and how they interact with people. Below are 17 habits
of highly successful CEOs;
1. Waking up early
From the routines of a good number of successful CEOs, one thing that stands out is that they all wake
up very early in the morning. Their wake up time ranges between 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm which is quite
early. By waking up this early, they can have enough time to plan their day and even work on certain
projects before everyone else is up and rolling. This, therefore, means that if you have the dream of
playing in the big boys’ league and be a CEO then it is time to forget sleep. You should instead make
waking up at 4:00 am a habit just like these successful CEOs.
2. Regular exercise
Most successful CEOs wake up early to exercise. This is among the first activities in their daily routine
immediately they wake up. Working out in the morning makes them reflect on the day’s activities and
thus get motivation from within to face it and be successful. Apart from that, exercise keeps them
healthy thus the energy to run their errands without getting overwhelmed easily. I believe that this is a
great habit that you should consider adopting if you find it hard to carry out your duties during the day.
It can also prove to be a way of boosting your concentration and thus your productivity.
3. Working as a team
One of the most predominant leadership traits of successful CEOs is the team playing. They value their
employees and work with them hand in hand to ensure that they win together and not exploit them.
Ultimate Software’s CEO, Scott Scherr is once made a statement that business has various similarities
with sports as a leader has to organize their team and ensure that they work together. Being a team
player is a very important leadership trait possessed by successful CEOs as they get the first-hand feeling
of the tussle and thus value the success they achieve in the end. This is thus a very important habit to
have if you feel wish to be a successful CEO.
4. Time management
Time is a very precious commodity that no one would want to lose. Successful CEOs can achieve a lot
within the same time as any other person by simply managing their time well. It is the habit of any
successful CEO to keep time as it is almost impossible for such people to even get late to a meeting in
any case. This is simply because they understand that time is money and can only be saved but never
wasted. It is, therefore, important to plan your activities. Tomorrow should be today’s plan always.
5. Having a team
Any achievement of a business or a company is always determined by the employee’s morale and
willingness to work. Therefore, if they lack morale and are not fit enough the company will not be
successful at all. A CEO is thus supposed to have the leadership skill of selecting a good and vibrant
team. Having such a team means that everyone will be aware of what is expected of them and work
hard to achieve it by all means. This, therefore, proves that all successful CEOs should have the ability to
hire a good team to work with.
6. Delegation of tasks
In every company, the CEO has the ultimate power over every other employee. This, therefore, means
that it is not their responsibility to carry out every duty in the organization but instead make very
valuable decisions. One leadership trait that a CEO should possess in such a situation is the delegation of
duties. They can become successful as they give their great employees duties according to their talents
and abilities. Under their leadership and guidance, the CEOs can use their employees’ abilities to make
great achievements in their businesses or companies.
7. They embrace technology
With technology, it is easy to be in different places at the same time without having to be there
physically. Successful CEOs have embraced technology and have helped them to monitor their
businesses even when working on other projects. Through technology, they are also able to access all
the business operations by the touch of a button. Apart from that, technology has made work easy and
thus increased productivity and reduced expenses thus increasing the profitability of their businesses
which depicts their success. It is thus clear that if you want to be a successful CEO technology is a
necessity.
8. Staying Informed
Staying informed is the most common leadership trait that characterizes every successful CEO. This,
however, does not give CEOs the leeway to get glued to their social media pages all day through as it will
deem to be a waste of time. Instead, they should be able to be up to date in terms of the market trends
in the case of a business. By having such information, they can put in place appropriate strategies that
will enable the business to grow. It is thus clear that any successful CEO has access to myriads of
information that affects their business both directly and indirectly.
9. Networking
Networking is a leadership skill that enables one to interact with different people with different
backgrounds and with different skills. Many successful CEOs love networking as it allows them to meet
new people with great skills that can help them in their businesses. This and many other reasons proves
why CEOs can hardly turn down invitations to social gather even if they have no relationship to their
business. This is because they understand that a large network is a requirement for building a business
empire and become successful in it.
10. Daring to experiment
The growth and success of a business are depicted by its ability to try out new things. This, therefore,
means that any successful CEO should be more than willing to get out of their comfort zone and try out
new things that they can venture into as a business. This can include employing new marketing
strategies or even changing how services are offered in their business. A competent CEO would need
very little time to experiment with any new strategy and thus make a decision if it is good for the
business or not. This leadership trait of experimenting is a habit of many successful CEOs.
11. Good decision-makers
Decision making is an essential facet of a successful business. As earlier discussed, a CEO does not
necessarily do every work in a company but makes decisions that affect the business both directly and
indirectly. Many CEOs have become successful as a result of a few or even one correct decision made.
The decision made by a CEO in any company or business would depict the direction taken by the
business. Many successful businesses are as a result of perfect decisions made regarding what to
venture into. Decision making is thus a leadership trait that is attributed to a good number of successful
CEOs.
12. Meditation
Meditation helps in clearing off the mind and improving one’s concentration levels. Many CEOs have
busy schedules and thus use meditation as the perfect way to release their stress and get the
concentration required to continue with their work. One of the most successful CEOs who is attributed
to meditation is Oprah Winfrey. She alludes meditation to have myriads of benefits citing that she has
first-hand experience of these benefits. Other than Oprah, many other successful CEOs have picked this
habit to help the depict executive leadership through concentration. It is, therefore, advisable that if you
want to become a successful CEO, you should work on your concentration and ensure that you remain
relaxed at all times by making meditation a habit.
13. They are organized
Running a business or a company means that you have a lot of things to care about so are the successful
CEOs. This, therefore, means that they have to be as organized as possible to care for these activities. A
good example of a CEO who has depicted a high-level organization is Danny Meyer who is the CEO of
Union Square Hospitality Group. Meyer possesses a memo system that keeps him up to date with all his
day’s responsibilities thus helping him not to the myriads of interruptions during the day. He has an
executive personal assistant who keeps him update through a memo containing the next day’s schedule.
Such a level of organization is what various CEOs have employed and it has contributed a great deal to
their success.
14. Creativity
Creativity is a leadership skill that can save you from any horrible situation you can think of. Any
businesses have their secret strategy of improving their profitability which is usually as a result of its
leader’s creativity. Similarly, CEOs have a high level of creativity as it is necessary to achieve and
maintain success. Some greatest CEOs such as Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. among many others have
demonstrated how creativity can brew unimaginable success for a business. Different CEOs across the
globe have different levels of creativity in the way they approach their duties and have proved to be the
secret to their success.
15. They are inquisitive
Naturally, it is a leadership trait to be inquisitive. I believe that a person who asks questions and is
willing to learn and know more is a sign of executive leadership. The questions asked by a CEO, however,
are very different from any other questions as they are strategic and objective. Many people believe
that asking questions is a challenge to the status quo. Successful CEOs, however, have the habit of
challenging the status quo which in turn separates them from other people. Their inquisitiveness helps
them to gather as much information as they can to help them run their businesses in one way or the
other.
16. They read a lot
Reading is the best and the only way of getting knowledge. Many successful CEOs have the habit of
reading magazines and even books depending on their preference in the genre. Some famous genres
that successful CEOs are likely to read include business, fiction, self-development, motivational, and
autobiographies among many others. It is a norm for famous CEOs to comment on business publications
and magazines or even go public on the books they read. These CEOs take notes from these publications
and actualize whatever they learn in their own business thus enabling them to grow and become the
successful people that they are. Reading is thus a habit that needs to be cultivated from within and
made a personal trait to have ideas to be successful.
17. They do not give up
Giving up is a simple failure when you hit a dead end. Successful CEOs, however, believe in themselves
and have a high level of self-confidence. Successful CEOs have a specific leadership trait where they
avoid ‘BUT’ and instead say ‘AND’ which shows their confidence. By saying ‘but’, it means that
everything said before makes no sense and can easily be assumed. However, saying ‘and’ changes the
whole situation which makes one look positive and optimistic. This is a leadership trait that many CEOs
have mastered as it is necessary when suggesting ideas to the juniors as they delegate duties. This gives
them a feeling that they can do something and even make them eager to learn all the other ideas
suggested.
References:
1. https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/17-daily-habits-highly-successful-people-have-and-
rest-of-us-probably-dont.html
2. https://thinkgrowth.org/17-surprising-habits-of-the-most-successful-people-15fa0fa7acfe
3. https://www.ceotodaymagazine.com/2020/04/11-habits-of-successful-ceos-you-should-adopt/
4. https://www.businessinsider.com/habits-of-successful-ceos-2014-10