CEO Checklist

The fourth point from our CEO Checklist is crucial. In order to be a truly successful CEO you need to be Business savvy.

As associations shift away from the “old boy’s club” way of doing business to a more sophisticated corporate model, boards have become more focused on selecting executives with broad business savvy to lead their organizations.

Today, boards want CEO candidates who have overall business experience in accounting and finance, management (of the board, the staff, the volunteers), marketing, communications, and technology.

They do not expect expertise in all these areas, but they do expect the CEO to have broad experience across several fields (and to know where to brush up on the basics of these disciplines).

If you don’t already have an extensive background, broaden your involvement to diversify your skill set. Association experience can be very attractive, but if you’re an association political affairs director or communications director and your expertise is limited to one sector, it makes you a less desirable candidate. Move beyond your comfort zone by taking on responsibilities (perhaps even a volunteer role in a community organization) requiring you to learn a whole new way of thinking. Boards want CEOs who can move through the basic disciplines of management with a degree of confidence.