Making 'Executive' Decisions

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Those who have a seat at the table are more than subject area experts; they are seen as business people who are part of a leadership team. Those executives who are successful are willing to take risks and decisive action when needed. They must know how to identify opportunities and dangers, make the necessary decisions in the face of risk and know how to survive both success and failure. If you want to be seen as a leader then you must be willing to speak up and take executive action. Many surveys state top leaders in every field experience failure but refuse to let it discourage them. They were able to bounce back by making alternative plans and still succeed. It is the competency of resilience that makes for success.

To be an executive it is also necessary to understand clearly where the organization is going, how the CEO plans to get there, what is necessary to get there, and what the roadblocks might be, that might include organizational politics. Just as the CFO must understand the impact of the financial market in the organization's strategic plan; the Chief Marketing Officer must understand the external market's impact on the strategic plan.

A successful executive understands the five major components of any business: finance, marketing, sales, operations and accounting. Make an executive decision to understand the business, take calculated risks and create your own opportunity for growth!