11 Essential Habits of High-Performing CEOs (And the Boards That Back Them)
Let’s get one thing straight, businesses don’t thrive by accident.
Behind every successful business is a leadership team that’s clear on its direction, deliberate in its strategy, and disciplined in its execution.
And at the helm of it all?
A CEO who knows their role and is backed by a board that knows theirs.
If you’re a business owner or CEO looking to run a smoother, more profitable, less stressful operation, here are 15 core actions that, when done well, will drive long-term results. Whether you’re leading a $1 million startup or a $50 million enterprise, these principles are universal.
1. Get Clear on Your Values
Culture isn’t a poster on the wall, it's what gets tolerated, celebrated, and repeated.
As CEO, your first job is to set the tone. What behaviours do you expect? What won’t you tolerate? Without clear values, strategy becomes guesswork and culture becomes chaos.
Example: I worked with a CEO whose biggest challenge was constant firefighting. We uncovered that a lack of values-based decision-making was fuelling the chaos. Once values were clarified and embedded, everything from hiring to client communication improved.
2. Know the ‘Why’ and the ‘What’
Vision is your “why”, your reason for existing.
Mission is your “what”, the tangible things you do to fulfil that vision.
When your team understands both, you reduce misalignment and increase motivation.
3. Choose Your Leaders Wisely
You can’t scale a business on your own. Choosing the right CEO or if you are the CEO, surrounding yourself with the right leadership team is non-negotiable.
This is where too many businesses settle for “loyal” instead of “capable”.
https://hrzone.com/blog/why-it-is-important-to-choose-your-leaders-wisely/
4. Set Challenging Strategic Goals
Your goals should make your team slightly nervous, but not paralysed.
Think: “How much, by when?” Clarity trumps ambition.
And it’s better to consistently hit 80% of meaningful goals than 100% of meaningless ones.
5. Let the CEO Pick Their Team
Boards (and owners) often want to meddle in operational decisions. Don’t.
Let the CEO pick their team, then hold them accountable.
If you’re both CEO and owner, you still need to treat leadership recruitment like the high-stakes decision it is.
6. Demand a Strategic Plan (and Budget)
Planning isn’t a bureaucratic exercise, it’s a tool to align effort with outcomes. Insist on a strategic plan that maps out how your goals will be achieved. And a budget that reflects those intentions.
7. Approve the Plan and Resource It Fully
Don’t underfund your strategy and then wonder why it underdelivers.
If the plan is solid, give your team the tools and runway they need to execute it well. Half-hearted investment leads to half-baked outcomes.
8. Coach, Don’t Micromanage
Boards (or owners) should act as coaches, not players.
If you find yourself stepping in to “just fix it,” you’ve either hired the wrong CEO or haven’t empowered them properly. Support includes mentorship, introductions, and access, not directives.
https://mariposaleadership.com/coach-dont-micromanage-the-key-to-accountability/
9. Hold People Accountable
This is where the rubber hits the road.
Are strategic goals being hit?
Are behaviours aligned with values?
Accountability isn’t just about punishment, it’s about clarity, consistency, and feedback.
Example: I helped a business owner implement a monthly performance rhythm that dramatically improved team productivity and morale. It wasn’t about finger-pointing, it was about making results visible and support tangible.
10. Reward Extraordinary Results
When your team delivers above and beyond, reward it. This builds loyalty, boosts morale, and reinforces the right behaviours.
Remember, compensation isn’t just financial, it’s also recognition, growth, and challenge.
11. Deliver Value Bonus for Business Owners: to Shareholders
Whether your shareholders are external investors or just you and your partner, your business exists to generate return.
Don’t lose sight of that.
Growth is great, but profit is essential.
Understand Your Legal Duties
Even if you’re not a formal board director, you are legally responsible for compliance, proper purpose, and decision-making in good faith.
These aren’t just corporate governance buzzwords, they’re the foundations of sustainable leadership.
Real-World Case Study
One client, let’s call him David, was a great technician but a struggling CEO. His board meetings were erratic, his leadership team misaligned, and financial performance declining. After conducting a Business Analysis, we uncovered two root causes: unclear strategic goals and zero accountability structures.
Over six months, we:
Established quarterly strategic goals tied to a simple dashboard
Clarified team responsibilities
Introduced weekly check-ins and monthly strategy reviews
The result?
A 25% increase in revenue, a 40% reduction in operational fire drills, and best of all David took his first real holiday in years without his phone blowing up.
In Summary
Leadership isn’t just about inspiration, it’s about implementation.
If you’re the CEO or owner of a business, ask yourself:
Have I defined our vision, values, and mission clearly?
Does every leader in my business know what success looks like?
Am I empowering and holding my team accountable?
Is our board or advisory group supporting and challenging us appropriately?
If the answer to any of those is “no,” it’s time to make a change.
Want Help Making That Change?
This is exactly the kind of work I do through my Business Analysis process. It’s not coaching for coaching’s sake, it's a 360° deep dive into your operations, people, finances, and opportunities. We use your real numbers and real-world feedback to uncover practical, profitable improvements.
It’s a one-time $5,000 investment and I guarantee you’ll discover at least 10x that in hidden value or opportunity.
If we’re a fit, I’ll show you how coaching could scale your results. If not, you walk away with a roadmap to growth.
Book a Business Analysis with me today.
Let’s build a better business together.
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