Acresis has worked with and observed hundreds of CEOs, including Founders and professional CEOs brought in to lead Founder-owned businesses. Through that experience, we’ve identified nine critical competencies that distinguish a high-performing Founder & CEO.

If you are currently a Founder & CEO and want to hold yourself to a very high-performance bar, one competency worth examining is Results Orientation.

Flounders lack accountability. If something goes wrong or doesn’t work out, they make excuses, find alibis, or rationalize why the outcome is acceptable. That is how they can muddle through 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years of doing business with their company. Founders, on the other hand, have demonstrated the ability to deliver consistently strong operating and financial results through a hands-on, entrepreneurial approach and Founder mentality. A Founder will introduce substantive and measurable improvements to sales, business development, and operations throughout a significant portion of the company’s history. The Founder and their team will have created new approaches to existing problems that have had a significant positive impact on the business year after year. A Founder brings a sense of urgency to the organization. They lead by example and demonstrate high personal energy in every interaction.

The Litmus Test
A Flounder makes excuses or alibis when promised results do not materialize and rationalizes why that is acceptable.

A Founder finds ways to get things done, even in difficult circumstances.
This is just one of the nine critical competencies we believe define a high-performing Founder & CEO.

How do you measure up against the other eight?

Read more to explore all nine competencies and consider the performance bar you are setting for yourself as a Founder & CEO.

Think you’re results oriented? Read more at the link and see how you measure up.