How to Become the CEO Your Startup Deserves

A good CEO must always have a clear vision and a good view of the bigger picture.

The recent debacle surrounding Uber’s CEO Travis Kalanick was a reminder of how important being a good CEO for your startup really is. VCs and stakeholders rarely review a startup based on products or ideas alone. They also review you as the founder and CEO of the company before making any investment decisions.

More importantly, the success of your startup depends highly on your performance leading the company. This makes becoming a good CEO that much more important. Fortunately, becoming the CEO your startup deserves isn’t as complicated as you may think. These next several tips will help you get started in no time.

The Bigger Picture

A good CEO must always have a clear vision and a good view of the bigger picture. Running out of capital before launching a product or producing a working prototype is still a common issue with startups today, and it is an issue that can prove to be catastrophic. To avoid facing the same kind of problems, you need to be able to set a reasonable timeline and stick with it.

Sure, it is tempting to focus on the details of the moment, especially since they tend to be more exciting. That move to a bigger office or investing the new machinery you have always wanted to buy can be great investments when made at the right time. Making these decisions without carefully considering the long-term effects, however, is not the mark of a good CEO.

Willingness to Learn

The market is always changing; the startup landscape is just as volatile. There are so many things to learn, especially if you are in a fast-moving industry such as technology or healthcare. Willingness to learn and the ability to absorb changes and new information are key skills to have as the CEO of a startup.

A lot of startup founders and CEOs are actually going back to school to strengthen their skills. Programs such as the online executive MBA course from Washington State University are making it easy for professionals – in this case, startup CEOs – to go back to school and pursue a master’s degree.

The online courses are designed to be very flexible while offering up-to-date curriculums that allow you to earn an accredited executive MBA degree online. The extra flexibility also makes it easy for you to complete the course at your own pace.

A Strong Team

At the end of the day, the best CEOs are those who are willing to admit that they can’t do everything themselves. Being able to delegate effectively, paired with having a team of capable people, will lead to the startup success you have been pursuing all along.

Constructing a strong team is getting easier now that there are so many resources around you. There are hiring services designed to help you spot incredible talents. You also have more opportunities to develop the right corporate culture and shape younger talent into the valuable assets that they can be. These are all part of becoming the CEO your startup truly deserves.