What are the top 5 priorities for a startup CEO (in order)?
I am sometimes overwhelmed with all I have to balance and prioritize. What needs to be done first, what to focus on next, what tasks to delegate to my team...etc. I want to stay on top of things and make the most use of my time, while staying calm and cool. So far, it's harder than it sounds. How have other startup CEOs prioritized launching their business?
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Sep 13, 2015
You will have lot of tasks in hand which all need to be taken care of. But by just putting a structure and plan, you can make you life wee bit less overwhelming. Please remember the 4 quadrants where you classify all your tasks. You manage as best as you can using the following guideline.
Quadrant 1 - Tasks which are not urgent and not important. Give it to someone and don't even look at it.
Quadrant 2 - Tasks are urgent but not important. Give it to someone who can be relied upon to act on time.
Quadrant 3- Tasks which are urgent and important. Take these up on priority and share the load wherever possible.
Quadrant 4 - Tasks which are not urgent but important. Prioritize and own.
Basically regardless of whether you are a CEO of a startup or otherwise, you cannot delegate anything in Q4 because that has to do with strategy. In a well runing business, the CEO should spend as much as 80% of total time in that quadrant. However, I expect in a startup the CEO to spend about 85% between Q3 and Q4.
Hope that helps
Sep 9, 2015
There are many great answers here.
As a my own boss – leader when I decide to grow my company this is what I want to focus on
1. Surround myself with great people. Remember you are not going to know everything at a given moment. It is the people you add with their level of expertise that help you manage your organization.
2. Know your competition; I say this with a ton of passion. I work with numerous companies in the digital world who all want to be number 1 and I always ask what does you competition look like and I get a blank stare or silence on the other end of the line.
3. Have that go to person in the organization. You want an individual or team that can tell you at any point during the day how the business is doing.
4. Communicate, but communicate in person. Too many leaders rely on email to communicate. Face to face, conversation is a lost art. I have learned to get things done it is easier to talk to someone instead of spending time having a email conversation.
5. Lead by example, treat your customers like gold and they will always come back. Show that you value everyone.
Sep 6, 2015
I don't understand how people can answer this without knowing you, your experience, whether you have a team, how big it is, what your values are, what your product or service is, who your clients are, what the model is, how you plan on executing and growing...Sure, you can buy every book about startups and read all the blogposts out there but you might end up losing valuable time and might be more confused than before...Every startup is unique - if you feel flooded with information and want tailormade support and fast help, I would really suggest that you get a mentor or business coach, you will save yourself lots of stress and bad decisions.
Wishing you heaps of clarity and success!
Sep 3, 2015
I say:
1. consider and commit to a real, written vision statement;
2. determine, working top-down, what is required to achieve the vision and write down as a statement of objectives and budget over the realistic forecast time period;
3. evaluate the resources required and obtain or recruit additional skills if necessary;
4. This is the key "parity of authority and responsibility" at every level and for every person: delegate following the framework of (i) the specific objectives of the individuals or groups (sections / teams etc) (ii) the implicit responsibilities that match the specific objectives and (iii) the implicit levels of authority that are required to match the responsibilities (iv) the KPI's that match the responsibilities and (v) the rewards for achievement.
5. routinely and constantly monitor performance relative to KPI's and reward achievement, assist where necessary and be generous, both materially and in spirit.
Sep 3, 2015
Well here you go: 1) Understanding of the customer base; 2) Realizes and understands the value proposition of the business and its competitive advantage; 3) strategy and understanding the actual sales model to insure sucess for the business; 4) ability to assertain the how to maximize productivity of the team, top to bottom and 5) and finally manage effectively the cash flow and balance sheet of the busines. These are odds on true leadership qualities that leade to ultimate business success.
Sep 3, 2015
Richard Stern
1. Understand the company Mission Statement and vision
2. Review the analytic s of the company to understand the "health" of the business
3. Review the management of the company to establish company capacity
4. Prepare a game plan with "audit" for the company
5. Prepare a Time and Action Plan to implement the Game Plan
Sep 3, 2015
Strategy for quarterly goals, Patience for things to run their course, Deligation for the hardest workers need the most support, Instincts that take advantage of good opportunities, Legal understanding to get blood out of stone.
Sep 2, 2015
Dear jack kemper.
1) You must know the priorities in your premises and out side.
2) Prepare yourself before tomorrow.
3) Make a friendly and achieve able team.lead like captain.
4) knowledge of production and products.
5) Utilizing the finance. Minimizing the loses.
Regards
Akhtar
Sep 2, 2015
Mindfulness. When you are in the present moment your energy is centred. As a result you know what is important and urgent without getting stressed. Train and develop your team, then you can delegate with confidence. Every time you delegate agree the priorities, and arrange regular reviews. The great leader is when the people say "We did it ourselves!" Lao Tzu . Be a transformational leader. Inspire others with your compelling vision. Respect others and they will respect you. Barry Thorogood
Sep 2, 2015
Lots of good advice already Jack.
Understanding what your business is for and more importantly why it makes sense (check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sioZd3AxmnE if you haven't already).
Then remember you are defined by choices including what you choose not to do! Understand what needs to get done, decide what your time is best focussed on and then delegate, recruit, coerce others to do as much of the rest as possible