Four Essential Skills for A Startup CEO

Most successful startup founders/CEOs have these Skills.

So you want to launch your own company? You want to be the boss? You spend all your extra time reading business magazines, seeing all these tech entrepreneurs living out their wildest dreams and wonder; "When will it be my turn?".

I hear ya. I will tell you this; the road to starting and building your own successful firm is a long and, sometimes painful one. The journey is half the fun though. You need to master a few personal traits to increase your chances at success.

Here are 4 of the most important ones. 

1. Must be a risk-taker

As they say "No pain, no gain". This is certainly true when it comes to business. As an aspiring entrepreneur you have to have the guts to take enormous risk. You have to have the cajones to asses an opportunity and be able to gamble some of your resources in hopes that you get a positive outcome. 

2. A Student-teacher

No leader of a startup can afford to rest on their laurels. Give yourself a fighting chance at building your business by having the " I am always open to learning new things " attitude. You must stay up to date on the latest trends in your industry, read a lot and be sure to surround yourself with people who know more than you, so you can learn from them. Be open to criticism and input.

3. Pay Attention to the numbers

Startup founders are typically "big picture" types. They are usually focused on their visions and growing their businesses. Although, all good qualities, I would urge any early venture CEO to try to keep an eye on the financial health of the company. Do this even if you have a CFO. Your goal is to grow the business, and you cannot do this if you have no money in the bank

4. Be A Source of Positive Motivation

In the early touch-and-go stages of any business, there is bound to be rampant uncertainty among your team. Folks who have decided to work for, or with you will have days when they are really unsure if things are going to work out, and wonder if they would be better served to take their talents and time elsewhere. Heck, some days you might feel like this. I would strongly recommend that you have your doubts on your own time. Your team should always get positive vibes from you.