Understanding the key roles you play in your business is essential for effective leadership. This article is part of Effició’s “Leadership Growth Through Learning” series, where we share insights and strategies to help leaders develop their personal and professional skills. In this installment, we’re discussing the major roles you’ll play “in” your business.
The Key Executive Roles
- The Opportunist The opportunist seizes opportunities without being confined to conventional thinking. They are agile and ready to capitalize on emerging trends and possibilities, always looking for ways to advance the business.
- The Innovator The innovator creates solutions that drive the vision forward. They focus on developing new products, services, and processes that differentiate the company in the marketplace and provide value to customers.
- The Investor The investor ensures that profitable innovation is a standard across the company. They allocate resources wisely, focusing on initiatives that promise the highest returns and support long-term growth.
- The Visionary The visionary sees the big picture and ensures that business ventures are centered on progression and achievement. Unlike a dreamer who imagines what could be, a visionary envisions what will be and takes actionable steps to make it happen.
Being a “visionary” is about more than just dreaming. A dreamer sees things as they wish they could be, while a visionary sees things as they will become. Most importantly, a visionary is a person of action. Visionaries bring their ideas to life through carefully planned, organized, and executed activities.
Defining Your Executive Role Approach
Engaging in these roles the right way begins with defining your executive role approach, strategy, and direction. This alignment is necessary to eliminate redundancy and ensure that each role is contributing effectively to the business’s success.
As entrepreneurs, sometimes we make the mistake of becoming the business and letting the business become us—and that’s okay to a point. However, at some stage, you must maintain a separate identity as the professional who owns your business and leads the team. It’s crucial to identify yourself as a professional with a full set of varied skills that complement your business venture and support your career goals.
Identifying Professional Characteristics and Credentials
You have professional characteristics and credentials that complement your business venture and support your career goals. Do you know what they are and how to showcase them? Take some time to think about your roles and how they apply to your business today. If they are not aligned properly, consider how you can adjust.
Action Steps:
- Reflect on your current executive roles and their alignment with your business goals.
- Define or refine your approach to each role to ensure strategic alignment.
- Identify and highlight your professional characteristics and credentials.
- Develop a plan to showcase your skills and contributions to your business.
By understanding and embracing these executive roles, you can lead your business more effectively and ensure that every action you take drives the company toward its vision.
For more insights and actionable advice on developing your executive skills and leadership capabilities, attend our free education seminar. Held on Zoom every 1st Thursday of the month, this seminar will provide you with the full details of our education programs and help you take the first step towards enrolling as a student.
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