CEOs: How do you know if you're doing your job?

[jasonglaspey]

"How do you know when you're doing the job only you can do?" There's not really a manual for CEO; every one is different, and every company has different needs. So, how do you know when you're doing it wrong? How do you know when you're doing it right?

[BorisMelnik]

Great question. Not everyone walks into a position equipped with the experience they need. Some are born with it while others will attempt to be someone they are just not destined or psychologically equipped to be.

Really depends on what stage of the game you are in. As a sole employee / CEO revenue / leads are going to be the guiding factor. You'll be able to "feel" the growth more than anything.

Once you start getting more employees, seeing them working together is usually a good indication you are working well. Does growth just seem to come naturally? Do you find it natural to be firm, but fair?

As a self-made CEO for going on 6 years now, I find that my internal dialogue is the best indicator for how things are going. If you don't have a mentor, get one. If you can't find one, at least find someone who is a CEO that you can bounce things off of from time to time that will give you honest feedback. And remember, feedback aren't orders they are suggestions. Not all feedback I've been given over the years (even with the best intentions) have worked out. Learn from your mistakes and good luck!

[CyberFonic]

If you have to ask, then you are not a competent CEO.

Once upon a time a CEO was a person with years if not decades of experience acquired by working their way up a career ladder. By working in different roles, possibly in different companies and most importantly working with and for more experienced people they acquired a comprehensive skill-set.

These days many people bestow upon themselves the title of CEO, print business cards and expect to impress people. Sorry, you can only fool some of the people some of the time.

[jasonglaspey]

I've been running my own companies with employees and contractors for over 6 years, and that's after over a decade in my industry working in several different types of companies with different roles.

The reason I'm asking is that I find that people, often running younger, smaller businesses, can really be impacted by internal demons, and I'm doing some research to find out what those are, how people with more experience monitor themselves and what barometer they use to see how they're doing.

I'd love to see some resources for people who find themselves in a role of managing a team (or teams) of people when they haven't had the luxury of decades of experience.

[BorisMelnik]

Everyone has to start somewhere. Some people fall backwards into an amazing idea and don't have the resources to hire a CEO and would like to learn.

>Once upon a time a CEO was a person with years if not decades of experience...

Yes, that was before the internet. Now we have all sorts of companies, startups, etc with all levels of people / competencies including Mom's with shopify sites selling crocheted ear warmers that wake up one day and find themselves in the position of CEO.

If you have to ask, you are way farther along than most CEO's who are afraid to look bad.

[CyberFonic]

You are suggesting that we give the Mom you are referring to the same title as to Tim Cook, Satya Nadella or Larry Ellison just to mention a few names. Looking at it from another perspective it is like calling a household cat a "lion".

Reading stuff on the internet is no substitute for the experience of running a company, being responsible for revenue, staff and answering to shareholders.

People running small business, like the Mom you mentioned, are more accurately described as "business owners". Just like we don't call a cat a lion.

[BorisMelnik]

but we do sometimes call lions cats.

this is 2015 and CEO's are not just men who sit in boardrooms who smoke cigars.

just like there are Chefs at my local diner, and there are Chefs in NYC's greatest restaurants. CEO's can be many different types of people, for different companies.

yes there are business owners, they are normally called founders.

[tkimmel]

I really loved "The hard thing about hard things" by Ben Horowitz -- he directly addresses this issue, and his writing style is light years more engaging than your typical management literature.

[jtfairbank]

As an early stage founder, if everyone else can do there job well I'm doing my job.

Of course I'm much more a jack of all trades at this point than a full blown CEO.