In business training and seminars, we’re taught to think and act like a Chief Executive Officer (CEO.) What does that really mean for us in the beauty industry?
Do you need to go back to school? Are you out of luck if you aren’t born with certain personality traits?
Acting like a beauty business CEO doesn’t mean you need high-level training or an MBA. However, it does mean that you have to think like a CEO by developing certain qualities and attributes. Here’s how:
A CEO Turns Curiosity into a Discipline
Curiosity seeds innovation and it’s the success secret of many respected CEOs who achieve what they desire. Building your curiosity muscle simply starts with asking the question, “why?” — and often. When you turn curiosity and critical thinking into a habit, you’ll start looking for a deeper meaning in your business stuff.
You’ll start to wonder what’s working in your business, what isn’t…and why. When you ask the right questions, your mind will go to work to find the answers. Being curious is about developing an inquisitive mindset that allows you to see your business from different perspectives.
Curiosity encourages you to take a step back from day-to-day business operations so you can discover how your clients think and feel — which is key to developing marketing campaigns that resonate with your audience.
When faced with a challenge, curiosity encourages you to think, “How can I do it better?” This little question is the seed for developing an inquisitive mind that will help you improve all aspects of your business and grow healthier teams.
A CEO Makes Quick Decisions with Intention
Effective CEOs are decisive. They don’t wait until everything is in place to make a decision or take action. They understand that a bad decision is often better than no decision at all.
Sometimes you don’t have all of the information to make a perfect choice and that’s ok. Even a less-than-ideal decision allows you to move along and get important feedback to course-correct. Waiting for the perfect answer often gets you stuck in inaction.
Rather than waiting for the stars to align, ask yourself these two questions: “What will happen if I get it wrong?” and “What will happen if I don’t move on this?”
The truth is, we all make mistakes. Yet, most decisions aren’t lethal or permanent. In addition, making intentional decisions helps you develop trust with your team, as well as with your clients. Your clients and employees will have more faith in a decisive leader, instead of one that waffles.
A CEO Adapts to External Factors
An excellent beauty business CEO has the ability to respond to external factors, such as the fast-changing consumer expectations, and adjust the business model to stay relevant.
It’s also about quickly adapting to situations that take us by surprise. Most beauty business owners think about short-term and long-term goals, which are grounded in current and expected circumstances. A forward-thinking CEO thinks in terms of the future and considers innovative strategies to stay competitive and lead the pack.
As such, CEOs are forward-thinking and reflective at the same time. They look for lessons and wisdom in past events. They apply the insights to “what if” scenarios so they can be prepared to handle unforeseeable circumstances (which happens more often than we think!) They then make adjustments based on the environment to ride out the crises and come out ahead.
Your Most Important Work is Ahead of You
“Your most important work is always ahead of you, never behind you.” — Dr. Stephen Covey
In the 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, Dr. Covey urges his readers to “begin with the end in mind.”
As an effective CEO, you need to envision in your mind what you don’t see with your eyes at the present. Then, you can exercise your curiosity to ask the right questions, make intentional decisions, and take action to turn your vision into reality.
How are you going to set yourself up for success as the CEO of your beauty business? Leave a comment below and share your vision!