Inside the Mind of a CEO

/in , /by Al Statz

Of course it’s in a CEO’s DNA to think big, challenge the status quo, set stretch goals and inspire teams to perform to their full potential. So, why did this recent CNN Business article on How power changes the CEO brain catch my attention?  Because my wife pointed it out to me

Seriously, according to this article, neuroscience researchers have found that those who feel powerful become:

  1. more goal-oriented and think more abstractly
  2. more optimistic about risky decisions
  3. less likely to see the world from others’ perspective

I would add, from 30+ years of working closely with founder-CEO’s as a business executive and valuation and M&A advisor, that most successful founder-CEO’s are also surprisingly humble and know how and when to throttle back that power. These traits help them assemble extraordinarily dedicated groups of managers, employees, clients and investors.  Helpful when it’s their time to sell!

CLICK HERE for more insight on how power affects the brain of a CEO.