Corporate Career Success - How to Become CEO
For many people the ultimate success in a corporate career is to reach the most senior position in the corporate ladder, which is typically accompanied by a C-level title: CFO, CIO, CMO, COO, and, the top company title of CEO. Reaching the top job in the corporate world requires many years of experience and several qualities and skills such as leadership, communication skills, charisma, financial acumen and a strong understanding of the business. The only exception to this rule is when an entrepreneur, who usually has a completely different set of skills, launches a successful business venture and becomes the CEO. However, most successful entrepreneurs recognize that in order to run the company effectively and continue growing they need to hire a professional CEO.
In the days of the internet bubble, many young people, sometimes straight out of college, sought the top C-Level jobs at a startup dot-com. A few of the startup companies recognized that in order to survive they needed to hire professional business managers, or "adult supervision". Others were managed by kids who kept on spending their venture capital on lavish parties and never made any money. We know how that story ends.
For those taking a more traditional career path in the corporate world, you too can become a CEO someday. There was a time when that position was reserved for a privileged few, usually from a wealthy family background, an Ivy League degree and the right political contacts. Today, for the most part, the top chiefs get to their position through merit, that is, their ability to lead, achieve results and influence people at that level. There are no secrets to reaching the top position in a corporation, but if you are serious about pursuing the top position, you need to educate yourself. The best way to find out how to become the boss at the top is to learn from those that have already achieved that goal.
Before we further discuss learning how to become the chief, let's define a few terms. The CEO title stands for Chief Executive Officer, and it is the common way in corporate America to describe the individual who is responsible for managing all the other executives in the company and who is ultimately accountable for achieving company results. The title of President is usually redundant with CEO, and is also used to describe the head of the company, but it has special legal meanings that are significant. For instance, banks require the President to sign certain legal papers. In many countries the President, who can also be called Managing Director, or sometimes Executive Director, holds the top job.
There can be many chiefs in the company, but they all report to the CEO. Some of the most common titles include Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Legal Officer. To make it a bit confusing, sometimes the Chief Operation Officer is also the President. The COO is responsible for carrying out the operations of the company, and in these situations the CEO is more focused on developing the company strategy and dealing with the outside world. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is responsible for the company's financial statements, but in many cases CFOs carry a broader set of responsibilities, including administration, legal, strategic planning, human resources and computer systems. With the increasing role of information technology in company strategies, the role of Chief Information Officer (CIO) has become more common and gained more clout among executives.
The best way to get a firm understanding of what you need to do to reach the top job in your functional area, or even the CEO job, is to learn from those that have already reached those jobs. Before you become a chief, you need to start thinking and acting like one. Many employees get too focused on their own part of the work and don't get to understand the business as a whole. They think it is their bosses' responsibilities to understand what is happening at the next level above them. This is a big mistake. You should attempt to learn as much as you can from your boss and try to understand what problems he (used generically here for both genders) is trying to deal with on a daily basis. Then try to help your boss achieve his goals and solve his problems.
Don't be afraid to reach out to the chief, including the CEO. CEOs are just folks like you and me. They come in all shapes and forms, have different personalities, different education and backgrounds. Some are nicer, warmer, more honest, and more down-to-earth than others. Some have come from wealthier backgrounds, but others started from scratch and built their careers one step at a time. But most importantly, they are all human.
If you are too far down the corporate ladder to have an opportunity to interact with the CEO or even the top officer in your functional area, you can still learn by reading about them. If you want to learn more about CEOs, I would recommend the book How to Think Like a CEO
- Secure in self
- In control of attitude
- Tenacious
- Continuously Improving
- Honest and Ethical
- Thinking before talking
- Original
- Publicly modest
- Aware of style
- Gutsy / A little wild
- Humorous
- A tad theatrical
- Detail oriented
- Good at their job and willing to lead
- Fighters for their people
- Willing to admit mistakes, yet unapologetic
- Straightforward
- Nice
- Inquisitive
- Competitive
- Flexible
- Good Storytellers
Notice that the first item on the list is secure in self. Being confident is extremely important in anything that we do in life. One common characteristic of chiefs is that they have more self-confidence than most other people. So how do you build enough self-confidence to reach the top job? Through small victories.
Most chiefs have had many successes in previous positions of lesser responsibility. This does not mean that they never failed. Much to the contrary, they learned from their mistakes and carried those lessons with them so that that they wouldn't make the same mistake again. If you are going to make a mistake, it is better to make it early when the consequences of your mistakes do not have as large an impact as when you are the CEO. Jack Welch, the famous ex-CEO at General Electric was very aware of the importance of building self-confidence is his subordinates. He has written and lectured about giving high potential employees an opportunity to get additional responsibility and build enough confidence to take on the next job in the corporate hierarchy. Many of the CEOs of the largest companies in America came from GE, where they had a chance to hone their skills and build their self-confidence.
We will cover self-confidence extensively in the Personal Development section of Worldwide Success, so be sure to also check the article is that category.
Posted: 4 November, 2006 under category Career Success.
Comments: 25
Comments
Comment written by sarah walraven
Date and Time: 2007-04-25, 10.05 am
i want to become a CEO
Comment written by WWS
Date and Time: 2007-04-25, 8.25 pm
Sarah,
A good place to star is to develop the traits above. Good luck.
Comment written by Daniel Moreira Viotte
Date and Time: 2007-07-11, 5.29 pm
Site muito bom, pois ajuda quem tem metas e objetivos a continuar um caminho dificil e competitivo, que é de um dia ser um CEO muito requisitado no mercado de trabalho. Grato.
Comment written by Jeanette
Date and Time: 2007-07-26, 2.00 pm
I am a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley. I have my BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. I know it will be better to get my MBA. My question is, diid I choose the right major to become a CEO?Confidence I have without a dought. What more do I need?
Comment written by NarayananK
Date and Time: 2007-07-31, 12.16 pm
can you pl. send me some of the success stories of Important CEO’s
Comment written by WWS
Date and Time: 2007-07-31, 9.04 pm
Jeanette,
I think getting an MBA will help with your goal of becoming a CEO, specially if you can get into an Ivy League school. However, I think your undergraduate major is really not all that relevant to the CEO position.
Comment written by WWS
Date and Time: 2007-07-31, 9.06 pm
Narayanank,
You will find great CEO stories in the book recommended in the article.
Comment written by simba
Date and Time: 2007-09-08, 10.25 pm
Im currenltly a freshman majoring in math and a minor in accounting.I want to be a ceo one day after i graduate and i want to know if i am in the right track before its too late..
Comment written by WWS
Date and Time: 2007-09-10, 7.50 pm
Simba,
First of all, your undergraduate major will probably have little effect on your ability to become a CEO. A science or business major is just fine. At an undergraduate level what is most important to do well in school. In graduate school, pursuing a MBA from a top university will probably be more influential in becoming a CEO, but even that is not as critical as many of the other factors discussed in this article.
Comment written by bacha
Date and Time: 2007-11-24, 5.14 pm
hi,
i must say that this is a very helpful article, kudos to the writer. I have a question though, i am currently in high school and being at the top has always been one of my dreams. I am planning to get an engineering degree and then an MBA. So do i have the right idea or am i taking the wrong path because many people suggested to me to get a undergraduate business degree instead of engineering but considering ur article and other ppl’s comments it seems that it doesn’t matter what undergraduate degree a person gets. thankx
Comment written by WWS
Date and Time: 2007-11-25, 9.51 am
bacha,
I think an engineering undergraduate degree will give you a great foundation for your career, especially if followed with a MBA degree.
Comment written by christian
Date and Time: 2008-01-24, 11.15 pm
I too am interested in what it takes to be a CEO. I have an BS in engineering, an associates in a medical related discipline, and am currently finishing up a MA in International Relations. In my case, with only 5 years of work experience, where do I go from here? I realize diversity is good in some instances, but what is too much? Also, how do you actively pursue a CEO position? Other than networking, how can one position themselves to even be considered for such a position?
Comment written by Jon Howard
Date and Time: 2008-03-24, 1.38 pm
Great essential email. I was appalled when I read the information provided. I am personally going to take all of this information very serious and begin incorporating it into my managerial skills. I am a freshman in college double majoring Marketing and International Business with a minor in Mangement. I do have a question however, I am wondering if I should make International Business my minor and take up a stronger focus in Management and leadership. I am an intern for the Aldi Corporation and I have a passion to learn as much as possible during the course of my internship and work my way through the coporate ladder while learning as much as possible as well and building my abilities to lead others as I have demostrated in my past and still currently do so. I’m once again excited and inspired after viewing the information on this website. Thank You Very Much,
Jon Howard
Comment written by WWS
Date and Time: 2008-03-24, 6.17 pm
Jon,
I think what you are doing is fine. You may also want to consider an MBA at some point in your career, so don’t worry so much about getting all your business subjects perfectly right in your undergrad studies.
Comment written by Ara Artin
Date and Time: 2008-04-22, 7.07 am
I have a lot of high level experience and yet I have not been able to get a suitable position that suits me.
Non of the recruiters in the region are able to get me something that I really want…
Anyone out there who has some connections and needs someone in a senior position?
Comment written by M.Ashraf Ali
Date and Time: 2008-06-23, 7.20 am
i am student of MBA. i want to become CEO in corporate world pls advice me some valuable skill and knowldge of business. how can enhance my skill and knowldge. pls give me a comperhension answer.
Comment written by Diego Perez
Date and Time: 2008-07-29, 9.54 am
I got my undergraduate in Electrical and Computer Engineering and I’m pursuing my Master in Management Engineering in order to be a more key player in my company’s projects. I just joined the Logistics department and I have learned so much about our products, budgeting, planning and product management. With this experience and my master’s on the way, do I fit the characteristics of becoming a C-level employee or more if I keep pushing within my firm or should I jump jobs?
Comment written by WWS
Date and Time: 2008-07-29, 9.22 pm
Diego,
If you are making good progress in your job, growing and learning you are likely on your way to success and there is no reason to switch jobs. Becoming a C-level executive will require vision, leadership and many of the traits shared in the article. Keep honing these skills and you will likely succeed.
Comment written by Miguel Venegas
Date and Time: 2008-08-01, 7.09 am
I am an undergraduate student, so far I completed most of the general courses but, I still haven’t decided in what part of business should I major. I was also thinking in having a minor in Psychology. What major usually lead to be able to become a CEO? I was thinking in choosing business administration with a concentration on finances. Should I keep this one? I heard that a major in Marketing also works well. Please some advise. By the way, great article.
Comment written by WWS
Date and Time: 2008-08-01, 4.15 pm
Miguel,
When it comes to becoming a CEO your undergraduate major is not as important as developing the traits discussed in the article. From an education standpoint I think the best advice is to focus on getting excellent grades as an undergrad and then complement it with an MBA from a top school.
Comment written by MARUF
Date and Time: 2008-08-03, 11.59 am
I want to become a CEO.in recent days i am doing my chemical engineering bsc.am i on the right track and what plan should i take like taking a mba after undergraduate.please give a suitable advice
Comment written by Noel Martin
Date and Time: 2008-09-19, 7.42 pm
For the past few months, I’ve been searing information about the Corporate world and find it very interesting. My goal, is to become a CEO, or a COO. I just need more information on what degree you should get, the right schools, and the jobs you should take before reaching the top stop. If anyone can email me, at inoel.marie@yahoo.com, I’d be so happy if you did. Thanks ~
Comment written by Kat
Date and Time: 2008-09-27, 9.14 am
I’m currently in my last year in high school and for my college plans, I plan to major in business maganment. Will this be good if my goal is to become a C.E.O. one day??
Comment written by Naveen Mittal
Date and Time: 2008-09-29, 5.02 am
Very insightful post. CEO is the ultimate manifestation of a successful leader in corporate world.
Comment written by James Paterson
Date and Time: 2008-09-29, 5.47 am
Hi,
Good article very helpful, I am currently working as a quantity surveyor for a construction company in the UK. I have recently finished a BSc in Quantity Surveying and have begun an MSc in Construction Law. I am a member of all the right professional bodies. I am interested in getting to the top within an international firm but staying within my comfort zone (construction or quantity surveying) and wanted to know how you go about getting yourself in a position to apply for such jobs. I have looked into an MBA at London Business School which is apparently better than Harvard for MBA’s but it is 50k! Do you think I really need this?
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