Working directly with a CEO is probably the most demanding job. You are always on your toes trying to catchup with them.
In my career so far, I got a chance to work closely with two very different CEOs. One who was running a manufacturing business and another one was running a consulting business.
It became a real-life MBA program for me. Where I learned about Supply Chain, Procurement, Operations, Finance, Consulting, Sales, Marketing, Recruitment, HR Operations and much more.
But these were not the key learnings I had from these jobs. What I saw and learned from both of them was the importance of having the right People Skill.
Both of these leaders were amazingly good at making friends. They would make you feel so comfortable around them. Doesn’t matter if you are their employee or their client or their partner.
Because of this key skillset, the were able to hire the right people and retain them for long. This skill also made it easier to find new clients and retain them for long. And build a network of well-wishers who were willing to support them whenever needed.
There is no denying the fact that they were experts within their own industries but that’s not what helped them multiply their net-worth. Their ability to work with people did. Because as an individual you can only do so much, but as a team you can do much more.
Have a great weekend.
Vivek
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