The 10 Things That a CEO Must Avoid

The 10 Things That a CEO Must Avoid

By P. Mohan Chandran

According to me, the following are the 10 things that a CEO must avoid:

1. Negativity: There shouldn't ever be any place for negativity in the dictionary of a successful CEO. The word "impossible" should exist not even in his imagination.
2. Hasty Decisions: A successful CEO should avoid making hasty decisions. He should think deeply and from every angle, while resolving any issue. He should avoid any kind of irrational decisions.
3. Indecision : A successful CEO should take quick decisions and avoid dilly-dallying with an issue or procrastinating it. Indecision is stagnancy, and it is important to make progress every day, even if it is a just a single step. As the saying goes, "A thousand mile journey begins with a single step."
4. Wasting Time: A successful CEO must know how to prioritize things and avoid wasting time on unimportant or unproductive matters.
5. Litigations: A CEO, as far as possible and unless absolutely necessary, should avoid litigations of all types with other companies or people. He should try to resolve any issues amicably and in a manner that is 'win-win' for all parties involved. As the saying goes, "You cannot reach your goal, if you throw a stone at every dog that barks at you as you pass through your path."
6. OT-OS Syndrome: A successful CEO should be immune from the OT-OS syndrome. He should be least worried about what "Others Think" (OT) or Others-Say" (OS) about him or his company or employees. He should not give in to rumors or hearsay, and keep going about his work with clockwork precision.
7. Self-Doubt: A successful CEO should never doubt his own abilities. He should never doubt his beliefs and believe his doubts. Belief in self can help you conquer the world.
8. Loose Talk: A CEO should carefully weigh his words and avoid any kind of loose talk that provides grist to media's mill, or damages, in any way, his or his company's brand image.
9. Short-Term Thinking: A CEO should avoid short-term thinking and all his plans should always be tuned towards the long-term. He should always aim at winning the marathon rather than the sprint.
10. Controversies: A good CEO should steer clear of controversies. He should be focused on what he says and not give scope for any kind of controversies. He should make balanced statements and views while talking to the media.