4 Things That Make a Powerful CEO A CEO can go about fostering the right mindset for professional growth in a company. Some qualities that help build the culture include adaptability, empowerment, resilience, inclusivity, strong communication skills, amongst others

The coveted position of a CEO is all about earning the respect of employees and inspiring the organization. Being a CEO is challenging and demanding, the lack of a good leadership at helm can easily sink a ship. A strong leader shows adaptability, empowerment, resilience, inclusivity, strong communication skills, amongst other qualities.

Empowerment

A good CEO must be able to inspire and motivate their team to work together towards a common goal. "One has to be an inclusive leader, wherein you listen to everyone and consider their opinions. An employee centric policy is the core value of our organization," said Mahendra Nahata, MD, HFCL, a telecom equipment manufacturer. Sharing a similar opinion, Balbir Singh Dhillon, head of Audi India, said, "At Audi India, we encourage everyone to participate and share ideas. Empowering my team is my way of working." A CEO must be able to communicate effectively and be able to lead by example. The most important form of empowerment a leader can provide to their employees is the autonomy to do things on their own. Micro management is the biggest red-flag and a killers of motivation.

People-centric

When it comes to leadership, being people-first is a mindset, rather than a strategy or a set of principles. People-first leaders put their employees well-being first and business next. They take care of the people and the people take care of business. Every organization has a variety of resources that they use as a source of competition advantage - availability of capital, established distribution channels, product, patents, sourcing contracts etc. However, the central force that drives all these resources is the capability and drive of people working in the organization. A leadership style which is collaborative, is a necessity for both business and the economy.

"My leadership learning has been about re-discovering the power of people. I have been steadfast in my commitment to promoting inclusivity, fostering a culture of trust, driving engagement and productivity.When you put people first, everything else falls in place," said Geetika Mehta, MD, Hershey India.

Resilience

A true CEO understands that obstacles are the ladder to success. Building a long-term sustainable business is a long-haul journey. On this fabulous long trip, every business is bound to go through good and not so great business-specific and macro cycles. During challenging times, showing resilience pushes the paddle and makes up for lost time. Having said that, every cycle will bring its own set of challenges. "Overtime, successful leaders learn to always look for opportunities rather than getting bogged down with the

Challenges. Equally significant is the dynamic nature of the workforce, with diverse expectations across age groups, necessitating a focus on talent attraction, retention, and development, all while accommodating people's expectations and market trends," said Rajesh Magow, CEO, MakeMyTrip.

Entrepreneurship

As much as any other quality, building a culture of entrepreneurship is equally important. "Empowerment and entrepreneurship of employees goes hand-in-hand. At the end of the day, you are dependent on the skills of your managers who are driving business in separate sectors. The more nurturing you are of the ideas and entrepreneurship culture, the better it will get," said Piyush Arora, MD & CEO, Škoda Auto Volkswagen India.

In the words of Napoleon Bonaparte, "A leader is a dealer in hope."