What core skills should a business leader have? Everything you need to know before hiring a senior executive

Estimated reading time: 2.5 minutes

We have shared our wide-ranging knowledge and advice on how to successfully onboard executives, but now it’s time to explore what core skills and attributes you need to look for in the hiring process.

Selecting the right executive for your company is an important building block for economic and professional success. A suitable c-suite candidate will be able to bring innovative ideas, energy, strategy and development so that your company can continue to grow and progress.

With such a business critical role, it is vital that you know exactly what to look for in a good senior leader.

Acting on instinct

Leadership and appreciation: Once you understand what a c-suite level member needs to bring to the business, you'll know that a good senior leader knows when praise is deserved, but also has a sense of when constructive critisism is appropriate. Though this may seem simple, it helps the process of identifying issues and fixing them at an early stage
Fairness: Unequal treatment can create a bad atmosphere. An executive that always acts with the company’s best interests at heart and treats staff fairly is imperative for a good work culture
A sense of responsibility: Executives and senior leaders must be aware of the consequences of their actions. This means that they not only have to weigh the impact of their decisions, but also be prepared to take responsibility for them if they don’t pan out

Organisation and planning

Organisation: Of course, a well-organised person is important for any professional role, but a leader needs to be able to coordinate their own work as well as the work of different departments and employees in order to achieve an optimal overall result
Analysis: Only those who can collect and evaluate data are able to draw the right conclusions and sequences from it. A board-level member needs to understand how they can measure success and use data to direct the strategy of the organisation
Strategy and planning: A clear and focused vision paired with forward thinking can help to react to market developments at an early stage, to protect and grow the organisation. Good c-suite members can determine the path needed to achieve business goals while being flexible enough to adapt it to changing circumstances

Communication

Communication: Clear and appropriate communication across all channels with employees, customers, colleagues and superiors builds a solid foundation for good teamwork and cooperation
Transparency: Decisions, data and developments should always be documented and available to those who want to understand motivations or future plans. Secrecy can lead to difficulty amongst the team when trying to complete tasks; it also increases the chance of severe mistakes

Decisions and solutions

Decision making: Team discussions are useful, but they will become redundant if they don’t result in a final decision. It is up to the board-level members to make the final call on what that decision should be, and though this can be a pressurised aspect of the role, it is an important one
Ability to act: This is the intricate process of turning decisions into actions. Senior leaders need support and trust everyone in their team to execute this well, which is why communication and respect is also important
Solution orientation: What needs to be done to complete a task as quickly and easily as possible? A good CxO will have the ability to come up with these answers quickly and logically.

Motivation and resilience

Motivation: Senior executives and leaders need to be able to motivate themselves, and all those around them. Raising the energy and morale in the company will bring out the best in everyone
Resilience: Resilience and perseverance – especially after setbacks – are among the most important qualities of a good leader. This is the only way they can cope with and overcome the unavoidable challenges and setbacks that are seen in day-to-day business

Finding a manager or leader with the right skills and abilities can be difficult, but looking out for these key attributes will help you to find the perfect fit. If you are in need of some support in your hiring journey, our executive search team can help you find the senior talent you are looking for.