How to Develop a 'C-Suite Mindset' for Success, From 5 Leaders Who Have Done It To be an executive, you need to think like one — here are five lessons from top leaders.
By Mark Klekas
Have you ever watched a senior leader speak and thought, "How do they always know what to say and do?" They make big decisions look effortless and handle unexpected situations like it's no big deal. For many of us, it feels like magic — but it's not. It's the result of a different way of thinking, what we call the C-Suite Mindset.
The best part? You don't need to be running a Fortune 500 company to develop it. This mindset can help you think smarter, act sharper and navigate challenges with confidence, no matter what role you're in or where you want to go. We asked five top executives to share the secrets behind their resilient mindsets that helped them reach the top. Here's what they had to say.
1. Let go, move forward
Resilience is key to having a mindset for success. What you may have thought looked like success for you and your team can change six months later. You can't hold onto what you wish had happened. You have to move forward and redefine what success looks like.
Role modeling resilience is a key part of this. You can't just talk about being resilient — you have to embody it. This means letting go of initiatives that no longer serve you or your team. Talking openly about failures and losses and not burying them. Make sure you are clearly communicating why you are changing goals and metrics and sharing your new vision with the team. Show your teams how together you all can recover or adapt to challenging business situations or setbacks. Being able to bounce back is a key part of finding success.
— Mita Mallick, Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author
2. Know your place and trust others
Chief Executive Officer. Chief Marketing Officer. Chief Sales Officer. What do these C-Suite people have in common? They are "chiefs." What is a chief? A chief is a leader. Chiefs lead people. How do you develop this mindset? By focusing on two things.
The first is knowing your job. To have a C-suite mindset, you need to understand your role in an organization. Your role is to think, plan and set goals. You establish a direction and lead your people in that direction. Your job is to focus on your people and find and retain the best. This brings me to the second thing.
Trusting others to do theirs. Great leaders have faith in their people. They support them. They give them the resources to do their jobs — training, encouragement and, yes, compensation — because they realize that you get what you pay for. They give them continuous feedback and have their backs when they make mistakes because they know that the best employees learn from them.
— Gene Marks, president of The Marks Group
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3. Confidence, clarity and control
Learning how to "Develop Cognitive Endurance & Manage Decision Fatigue" is crucial for CEOs and team leaders.
I am an NCAA-All American coxswain (rowing), have built two companies and have advised founders and startups throughout my career. I know how to be fast on my feet when it comes to leading others. When speaking to your team members, it's important not to show hesitation, rather speak with authority while commanding respect. In other words, exude confidence without micromanaging or using fear-based tactics.
Keeping teams focused and positive during crisis mode is also part of mental strength and cognitive endurance. I cannot tell you how many times my team had a bad start, and my priority was to reset the boat, recalibrate the rhythm and get the crew refocused. In the corporate world, the situation is similar. Use clear language and be incredibly transparent with the company challenges, but immediately explain the steps "we need to take as a team" to overcome the obstacles.
I pride myself in understanding how to extract the best from each team member and knowing how much I can push each individual without allowing them to burn out. Some team members thrive with encouragement, while others operate best if given a direct task or challenge to tackle — but everyone needs to feel valued.
Related: I Work Nearly 50+ Hours a Week and Rarely Feel Tired — Here Are My Secrets to All-Day Natural Energy
Lastly, mental training and recovery are important as deep work focus and decision fatigue can be exhausting. In the same way rowers and athletes train for endurance, we also need to train our minds to be strong and sharp. I remind myself that "rest is training, too," and find time to meditate and practice breathwork. I also delegate to team members. Most importantly, it is important to stay focused on your own company goals or, from an athlete mindset, "race your race." We can only control what we focus on, so be tactical and focus on the objectives that best align with the company's priorities and goals.
— Elisette Carlson, Founder, SMACK! Media
4. Not every challenge needs instant action
A key trait of a successful C-suite leader is having a flexible mindset. In the past, making quick and decisive choices was a top priority, but today's rapidly evolving business landscape requires a more adaptive approach.
Not every challenge demands an immediate decision — sometimes, the best choice is to wait, observe and adjust. Being flexible means embracing change, going with the flow, testing different strategies and learning from real-time results before making a well-informed decision.
Take AI, for example. When it first emerged, it introduced massive changes and uncertainties. In such situations, there is no absolute right or wrong decision because much of it involves betting on the unknown. A rigid mindset might lead to rushed decisions based on fear or incomplete data, while a flexible leader assesses trends, experiments with new ideas and pivots when necessary. By staying adaptable, C-suite executives can navigate uncertainty more effectively, making smarter decisions that align with long-term success rather than reacting impulsively to short-term shifts.
Related: How AI-Driven Personalization Is Transforming the Retail Industry and Enhancing Customer Experiences
At Valux Digital, we embraced the AI wave by integrating AI technology into our offerings rather than resisting it. Instead of remaining a 100% manpower-driven digital marketing and PR agency, we adopted self-service AI solutions while still leveraging the expertise of our experienced team. By combining human creativity and strategic thinking with advanced AI capabilities, we've created a powerful hybrid model that delivers efficiency without compromising quality. This approach allows us to stay ahead of industry trends while providing innovative solutions to our clients.
-Jessica Wong, founder and CEO of Valux Digital
5. It all comes down to leverage and scale
Most entrepreneurs think the C-suite mindset is about making big decisions, but it's actually about asking better questions. The best leaders I know — whether they're running a Fortune 500 company or bootstrapping a startup — obsess over two things: leverage and scale.
Leverage is about maximizing impact with minimal input. You don't need to do everything — you need to do the right things. That means building systems, automating where possible and hiring people who are smarter than you in key areas. Scale comes from repeatability. If something only works when you're personally involved, it's not scalable. The best C-level executives think about how every move — whether it's marketing, product or sales — can be multiplied.
And here's a reality check: The best CEOs think like marketers. They understand that attention is currency. But attracting attention isn't enough — it's what you do with that attention that defines long-term success. Nurturing and converting attention into customers is key, but retention is where real growth happens. If you're constantly chasing new leads but can't keep the ones you have, you're spinning your wheels. The most innovative leaders build businesses that don't just acquire customers but keep them engaged, loyal and coming back for more. Because, in the end, growth isn't just about numbers — it's about relationships that compound over time.
— Neil Patel, co-founder of NP Digital.
