Startups demand a special brand of leadership...

In this video, I introduce a new definition of the CEO.

No matter what stage a startup is in, a venture trying to scale needs its CEO to be more than just a Chief Executive Officer.

It’s not enough to manage the managers.

It’s not enough to develop a strategy and oversee its execution.

To achieve ultimate success, CEOs must think and act like entrepreneurs.

They should aspire to be Chief Entrepreneurial Officers.

Entrepreneurs take the initiative to create something out of nothing.

They are pioneers who experiment, sacrifice, and learn to be resilient.

And they do it in the face of substantial risk.

I compare entrepreneurs to independent movie makers who produce and direct. They work with writers, actors, cinematographers, tech crews, and investors...all while carrying out a creative vision.

Of course, there are all kinds of CEOs. The job description varies with the needs of the startup. But there are three qualities that define a Chief Entrepreneurial Officer – Vision, Innovation, Inspiration.

First, vision. To be an entrepreneurial CEO, you don’t have to be a visionary, but you must be carrying out a vision. It doesn’t matter whether the vision yours, your predecessor’s, or anyone else’s -- you need to be able to fully appreciate it in order to effectively execute on it.

Second, innovation. Entrepreneurial CEOs will question every assumption. They will experiment and test… all in the name of improving a product or service. They don’t just listen to customers; they learn from them. They are innovative because their ambition is to continuously achieve more -- with others and for others.

Third, INSPIRATION. Entrepreneurial CEOs are inspired to be innovative because they want to enact real change, not just move the needle or hit their numbers. And because they are so inspired, they motivate and instill confidence in others

to be entrepreneurial...

to undertake new initiatives...

and to create new opportunities.

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