How to Become a CEO: A Guide for Aspiring High School Students

Many people dream of becoming the CEO of their own company, but few take the time, energy, and effort. This guide will pave the path for you to achieve your goal.

Successful CEOs Often Start Their First Business in High School

Successful CEOs often start their first business in high school, succeeding and failing along the way. While not every future CEO starts a business in high school, the invaluable lessons and skills attained early can pave the way to future success.

Key Skills for a CEO

Strong communication skills are crucial in leadership. In your first few months in the workforce, try to develop your understanding of the appropriate methods of communication throughout the business. This includes face-to-face interactions as well as grammar, structure, style, and tone of emails and online communications.

Find ways to improve your communication skills outside of work hours. Try participating in a workshop or completing a short course. Another habit that many CEOs share is reading every day. Consider joining a book club where you can practice communication skills and read.

Strategic Thinking

A CEO is required to understand how to think strategically about the direction of their business. Try and expose yourself to as many areas of the business as possible so you can start understanding how the different departments fit into the big picture.

Management Skills

To help develop management skills early, find a mentor who can guide you through the big decisions companies make. While it’s easy to get caught up in churning out work, take time to reflect on the “why” of what you’re achieving.

Listening Skills

A truly successful CEO also has powerful listening skills. Effective leaders take time to listen to all voices and make a decision based on what they’ve heard.

Building Connections

CEOs build connections and relationships within their business and with business partners, board members, stakeholders, and others outside the business. They should be able to build, maintain, and balance relationships on a personal and professional level.

Networking and Relationship-Building

Develop your networking and relationship-building skills by attending industry networking events and workshops. You might even meet a board member who hires you as their next CEO!

Leadership and Management Skills in High School

Start developing your leadership and management skills in high school by getting involved in extracurricular activities that help you improve these traits. Organizing events, starting a group, founding a company, or even volunteering for a charity can help you develop these skills.

Personal Development

Participating in and organizing hobbies and activities beyond your regular work hours will help you continue your personal development as a strong leader, team player, and manager. Additionally, when you take time to switch off from work, it allows you to bring a new perspective into the office, possibly providing you with a new direction or strategies.

Education and Experience

Most CEOs have at least a bachelor’s degree and five years of management experience before they become a CEO. It is also recommended to have an MBA to become a CEO. Future CEOs gain relevant management experience by either working their way up the corporate ladder or holding progressively higher positions at various companies. Some companies provide development training to help prepare professionals for management positions.

Preparing for a CEO Role

If you’re serious about becoming a CEO, you should begin preparing in high school. Run for leadership positions, join your school’s debate team, participate in extracurricular activities, or start your own business. Extracurriculars should involve building skills aligned with CEOs, including decision-making, communication, leadership, managerial, and organizational skills.

Additionally, if your school offers business or management-related classes, you should take as many as possible. At a minimum, you should take the following:

• Minimum Prerequisites:
• Business Administration
• Management
• Public Administration
• Highly Recommended:
• Business Administration
• Management
• Public Administration

Planning ahead will help you build a good foundation of knowledge and experience and help you achieve your CEO goals faster.

Conclusion

Nearly every CEO has a bachelor’s degree. Without a degree, you’ll struggle to become the leader of any business. Unless you’ve started your own company, the chance of becoming a CEO without a degree is virtually zero.

By following these steps and developing the necessary skills, you can increase your chances of becoming a successful CEO.