| Listen. Listening is a multi-dimensional skill. Observe their communication skills primarily their non-verbal communication. Do they attempt to dominate the space around them? Are they receptive to input? Are they patient or hurried? What is their degree of empathy? Are they touchy? Also watch the non-verbal communication responses of the people who interact with the CEO. Are these people charmed or put off? Is there a receptive common understanding? Is there an eagerness of participation or does the CEO surround himself with cowardly yes men? Second, pay careful attention to their choice of vocabulary. How does the CEO articulate abstract thoughts? Do they use humor to soften moods? Are they bottom line up front? Do they stutter? Do they pause to organize their words before speaking or does it just flow like a waterfall? Is there a crispness, clarity, or articulation you find particular? Third, how do they use their time? Focus more on the idle moments when they aren't actively engaging with people or specifically focused on a dedicated planned task. Do they stare off into space brainstorming? Do fidget with a gadget (probably a phone)? Are they calm, restful, or a busy body? Fourth, what do their notes look like? How they write things down or record things is an indication of how they want they to remember things. It isn't the full picture of how they organize their thoughts, but it is a large picture on what they choose to organize. This is a view into their priorities and may reflect things you would not otherwise consider important. If you have never been in management yourself you may find yourself focusing on their goals or the things they want you to see instead of the important things you are not yet prepared to look for. Don't worry about the interpersonal relationships or the people they want to introduce you to. This sounds really important, but I promise its a red herring unless you need to engage those same people directly on your own. |
For example, what does one learn from a successful CEO who is dominant, unempathetic, surrounded by yes men, and fiddles with their phone?
Perhaps I'm not reading this correctly, and you mean look at these traits and note how (perhaps counterintuitively) effective or ineffective they are?