How to Think Like a CEO

•Step 1

Develop your self-confidence and be secure in who you are as a person. Control your attitude above all. A successful CEO trains himself (if he's not naturally this way in his personality) to think positively. Running any kind of business has its ups and downs. You must train yourself to stay confident and upbeat. Don't allow your emotions to take you down when you have a difficult day.

•Step 2

Think like a CEO by becoming a planner. Plan each day by asking, "What should we do next and why should we do it?" Decide who is responsible for what task. Put people in place to oversee employees under them. As your company grows, it's important to have a "chain of command."

•Step 3

Watch your words. Think before you speak. Words have power and you set the atmosphere of your work environment by the words you say. Don't make promises you can't keep. Look at the overall picture of your company goals and find out what your projected income, expense and net profit may be.

•Step 4

Respect the differences in those around you. Relate to your employees and your customers by paying attention to their personality bent. Introverts and extroverts don't think the same or act the same. Understand the differences in personalities and encourage teamwork, accountability and mutual respect among employees and management.

•Step 5

Expect quality of yourself, your company and your product or service. Improve continuously by looking for motivational resource materials, new ideas in your profession and better problem-solving techniques. Go beyond vague ideas. Get specific about ways to achieve a particular task or solve a particular problem.