Why clear? First way, some people followed me, wanted to join in what I was doing, seemed to admire me for what I was doing. Second way, some other people became afraid, jealous, competitive, and attacked, resented, or deliberately ignored me.

So, since now I hope to be on the way to being a leader, maybe looking at how before I became a leader without really trying or intending could be instructive on how to be a leader now:

How I became a leader before: I had a good solution for a problem that a lot of people in the organization wanted solved for themselves or the organization as a whole. My main contribution was technical. It was clear that technically I knew what the heck I was doing and was, for solving that problem, by a wide margin the most capable person around. That was it: The key was a lot of other people wanted the problem solved and clearly I had by far the best solution.

Yes, that leadership position did bring with it some power. E.g., in one case, I was leading in computing for a B-school, and I was bitterly opposed by the university CIO, the longest sitting in US higher education. After my solution was deployed and seen to work well, the university wanted a new CIO, and I was appointed to the selection committee. So, I ended up partially picking a replacement for the CIO who had opposed me.

Then I was encouraged to give a graduate course on what I had done, and did. It was a fun course. The course grade was based on a final course paper based on the course, and some of the students, with no special help from me, formed teams and did some amazing things, off campus, significant, etc.
In other words, I cleared a plot of land, and others eagerly turned it into a garden.

So, net, maybe one way to be a leader, including a CEO, is clearly to have the best solution for a problem a lot of people and/or the whole organization needs solved. In the case of a CEO of a company, the employees stand to be eager to follow a leader who clearly is having the company grow quickly and, for one, provide better jobs for the employees. Maybe some customers can feel much the same. So, in fewer words, the key is the best ability to get some important work done.

But, maybe there are also some other ways to be a leader/CEO.

Why clear? First way, some people followed me, wanted to join in what I was doing, seemed to admire me for what I was doing. Second way, some other people became afraid, jealous, competitive, and attacked, resented, or deliberately ignored me.

So, since now I hope to be on the way to being a leader, maybe looking at how before I became a leader without really trying or intending could be instructive on how to be a leader now:

How I became a leader before: I had a good solution for a problem that a lot of people in the organization wanted solved for themselves or the organization as a whole. My main contribution was technical. It was clear that technically I knew what the heck I was doing and was, for solving that problem, by a wide margin the most capable person around. That was it: The key was a lot of other people wanted the problem solved and clearly I had by far the best solution.

Yes, that leadership position did bring with it some power. E.g., in one case, I was leading in computing for a B-school, and I was bitterly opposed by the university CIO, the longest sitting in US higher education. After my solution was deployed and seen to work well, the university wanted a new CIO, and I was appointed to the selection committee. So, I ended up partially picking a replacement for the CIO who had opposed me.

Then I was encouraged to give a graduate course on what I had done, and did. It was a fun course. The course grade was based on a final course paper based on the course, and some of the students, with no special help from me, formed teams and did some amazing things, off campus, significant, etc.
In other words, I cleared a plot of land, and others eagerly turned it into a garden.

So, net, maybe one way to be a leader, including a CEO, is clearly to have the best solution for a problem a lot of people and/or the whole organization needs solved. In the case of a CEO of a company, the employees stand to be eager to follow a leader who clearly is having the company grow quickly and, for one, provide better jobs for the employees. Maybe some customers can feel much the same. So, in fewer words, the key is the best ability to get some important work done.

But, maybe there are also some other ways to be a leader/CEO.

Many thanks.

.
A lot of our readers are CEO types in the startup game, a very difficult business indeed. We are all way too demanding on ourselves. Life is a long game, not a short one. Getting pissed off and disappointed with oneself is a short game thing.

Plus, if you can’t be kind to yourself how can you be kind to others?

And, at the end of the day, there is a world wide shortage of kindness, no?

BRC
http://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com

http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/ceo-prep-how/

BRC
http://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com