Want to be a great CEO?
One thing I’ve realized over the years of reading about CEOs and books on being CEO or becoming CEO or being like some famous CEO, is that every CEO is different. Some are workaholics, some are take-it-easy types. Some demand perfection from everyone, some expect failures as part of the development and risk-taking process. Some are very interested in community, some aren’t. Some are fantastic schmoozers and some are antisocial.
I will say that definitely being a workaholic seems to be a very common trait of a CEO. I’ve seen two reasons why people are workaholics. A) They feel that in order to succeed they need to put in long hours. B) They love what they do, it energizes and excites them, and they willingly put it ahead of other things.
Being an A) workaholic will probably suck out your soul, leaving you in the classic position of regretting on deathbed that you didn’t spend time with your kids. Being a B) workaholic probably helps you find energy to spend time with your family. I suspect it also brings your family and friends along with you, to some degree, because they see that you enjoy what you do and it makes you happy.