【观点】硅谷创业教父：成为世界一流CEO的基本要素

硅谷资深创业家本·霍洛维茨曾坦言自己的创业心得：“ 

总有人问我，成功的CEO有什么秘诀？真的，没有秘诀。若说有，那可能就是看你能不能全身心投入，还有在困境中能不能找到最佳出路。”

一

在巨大的工作压力之下，CEO们有时会陷入两种极端的错误观点。

第一种是“千错万错都是我的错”。

持有这种观点的CEO会过度承担责任，觉得自己必须立即解决所有问题。然而，这种过度的自我责备往往会导致他们陷入焦虑和挫败感中。

外向的CEO可能表现得脾气暴躁、心神不宁，因为愤怒而失控，让员工感到不安和害怕；而内向的CEO则可能陷入深深的自责和消沉沮丧中，无法自拔。 CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）

另一种错误观点则是“事不关己，高高挂起”。

在面对公司的困境时，一些CEO会选择逃避责任，认为问题与自己无关。他们可能过于乐观地看待局势，认为事情不会那么糟糕。他们可能觉得问题并不严重，可以拖一拖再解决。然而，这种逃避责任的态度虽然能让他们暂时轻松，但问题并没有真正解决。只会让员工感到失望和沮丧，因为他们看不到领导层对问题的重视和解决方案。

事实上，优秀的CEO最理想的态度应该是既果断又理性。他应该能够识别问题的根源，需要在关键时刻迅速做出决策，同时又不被情绪所左右。只有这样，他才能带领员工共同制定有效的解决方案，并带领团队共同应对挑战。

CEO需要学会在适当的时候承担责任，而不是过度自责或逃避责任。只有这样，他们才能够赢得员工的信任和尊重，共同推动公司的发展。

二

要成为一名出色的CEO，你得有明确的目标，并且全身心地投入工作。当然，丰富的知识和过人的智慧也是必不可少的，这样大家才会愿意跟随你。毕竟，没人愿意辛辛苦苦创业，结果却成了个糟糕的老板，或者管理一家刚起步的小公司，又或者让公司被繁琐的官僚主义拖后腿。

成功的路上总是充满起伏，突发状况也在所难免。不过没关系，只要保持冷静，从容应对就好。

但最困难的一点在于，作为老板，你得在实践中不断摸索和学习。

没有哪个培训课程能一劳永逸地教会你如何当CEO、如何管理公司。想学会当CEO，唯一的办法就是亲自去当，即使这意味着你得面对一堆棘手的问题，而且还得在没有现成答案的情况下自己找出解决之道。不过这就是你的职责所在，因为你是那个做决策的人。 CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）

成功的CEO的基本要素 

一、接受自己不完美

刚当上CEO的时候，我遇到了一个投资人让我发“市值表”的小插曲。说实话，我当时有点懵，因为我不知道这个表格应该长什么样，应该包含哪些关键信息。虽然这只是一件小事，但它却让我开始思考：如果连这种基础的事情都不懂，那未来怎么应对更多更复杂的挑战呢？

于是，我就硬着头皮去弄那张电子表格。然而，这个过程并不容易，因为市场变化太快，竞争又如此激烈。即使你觉得自己已经对工作有了一定的了解，新的麻烦和问题还是会不断涌现。

在这个过程中，我逐渐意识到一个残酷的事实：作为一个CEO，你不可能做到面面俱到、完美无缺。如果用百分制来评价CEO的优缺点，那么平均分可能只有22分。这个分数对于很多追求完美的人来说，无疑是一个巨大的心理打击。

但是，我认为坦然接受自己的不完美是正常的，也是必要的。因为只有这样，我们才能保持谦虚、不断学习，并努力提升自己的能力和表现。 CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）

记住，无论你是CEO还是其他什么角色，都没有人是完美的。重要的是我们能够认识到自己的不足，并勇于面对和改变。

二、CEO要承担公司的一切

当你手下只有10个员工时，或许还能指望一切都能井然有序；但一旦你要管理上百上千人的团队，不出点乱子几乎是天方夜谭。随着公司的日益壮大，你可能会对员工的种种失误感到痛心疾首，甚至怀疑自己的领导能力。

每当你目睹员工们浪费时间、拖延工作时，内心都会感到无比煎熬；身为CEO，这种感受更是刻骨铭心，让人食不甘味、夜不能寐。如果你再把所有过失都一股脑儿地归咎于自己，那简直就是往自己伤口上撒盐。

有时候，面对员工的抱怨和不满，比如繁复的报销流程、低效的工作协同等，我或许会以一种自嘲的方式将责任揽到自己身上。然而，这种玩笑其实并不轻松，因为它揭示了一个残酷的事实：作为CEO，我难辞其咎。

事实上，公司里出现的任何问题，无论大小，都与我作为CEO的决策和管理息息相关。在人才选拔、战略制定等关键环节上，我都是最终的决策者。我无法推卸责任，因为这一切都是我必须面对的现实。

无论是用人失误、业绩不达标、优秀员工离职，还是部门间的矛盾冲突、产品质量问题，这些都直接或间接地反映了我的领导能力。这些压力让我如坐针毡、寝食难安。尽管我愿意勇敢地承担责任，但内心的痛苦和煎熬却难以言表。在CEO能力评估中只得了22分，这个沉重的打击让我倍感沮丧和无力。

三、应对危机的自我心理按摩法

当公司遇上大风大浪的时候，想要依靠员工来讨论公司的生死存亡，基本上就是白搭。与董事会或外部专家讨论呢，也往往谈不出个所以然，毕竟他们与你的专业背景和视角存在差异，很难给出符合你期望的建议。

这种时候，你就像是孤军奋战，需要自己想办法应对。这里，我想分享一些自己多年来总结的经验，希望能对大家有所帮助。

首先，多交朋友，尤其是那些有过相似经历的人。虽然他们可能无法直接给你提供解决方案，但是与他们的交流可以让你从心理上得到一些安慰和支持，也能让你从中汲取一些经验和教训。

其次，把想法写下来，捋清思路。当公司面临重大决策时，我们的头脑可能会一团乱麻，难以做出明智的决策。这时候，把想法写下来可以帮助我们更好地梳理思路，明确目标，从而做出更为明智的决策。就像我曾经在面临公司危机时，通过写作来理清自己的思路，最终成功带领公司渡过了难关。

最后，记住一点：眼睛要盯着路，不要看墙。这是我在学车时学到的一条重要原则。在驾驶过程中，我们需要时刻关注前方的路况，而不是盯着路边的墙壁或其他障碍物。

管理公司其实也一样。每天都有一堆破事等着你去处理，一不留神就可能出大乱子。但如果你只盯着这些破事看，那你就像辆失控的车，迟早得把公司拖垮。 CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）

所以，你得盯着你的目标看，别老想着那些你想避开的事。

四、面对压力的智慧与勇气

(1) 杰出CEO的秘诀：永不言弃。

在担任CEO的日子里，我时常感受到巨大的压力，甚至无数次要放弃。我看到过一些人在重压之下崩溃，甚至选择轻生，或是彻底投降。他们为自己的放弃寻找各种理由，但这些人注定无法成为杰出的CEO。

因为真正的领导者都经历过无数个不眠之夜、辗转反侧、冷汗的洗礼，以及那种难以名状的内心“煎熬”。

每当我遇到成功的CEO，我都会好奇地询问他们的成功秘诀。而那些真正出类拔萃的领导者，他们的回答总是出奇地一致：“我从未放弃。”这句话简单却充满力量，它揭示了成功的真谛——无论遇到多大的困难，都要坚持到底。

(2) 敢作敢当，勇于决策。

在与创业者合作的过程中，我和我的合伙人都非常重视对方的两个品质：智慧和勇气。多年的经验告诉我，在关键时刻，勇气往往比智慧更为重要。因为即使你拥有再高的智商、再敏锐的直觉，如果缺乏勇气去面对困难、做出决策，那么一切都将是徒劳。

作为CEO，一旦决策失误，后果将是灾难性的。那种压力让我每次做决定时都如履薄冰。但我也明白，只有通过不断地面对困难、做出正确的决策，我的勇气才会逐渐增长。

与普通人一样，CEO在犯错时也会想要逃避责任。但真正的领导者知道，借口和逃避无法解决问题。每当你鼓起勇气做出一个艰难但正确的决定时，你的勇气就会多一分。相反地，如果你因为害怕失败而选择一个简单但错误的道路，那么你的胆怯和懦弱就会暴露无遗。 CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）

作为CEO，你的公司到底是勇往直前还是畏畏缩缩，全看你怎么选。

在面对压力和挑战时，请铭记智慧和勇气的重要性。如果说创业是一场永无止境的战斗，那么对于创业者来说，真正的挑战才刚刚开始。接下来拼的不仅仅是智慧，更是毅力和勇气。希望每个人都能走到最后，成为真正的赢家。

翻译：

The Godfather of Silicon Valley: The essentials of being a world-class CEO

Silicon Valley veteran entrepreneur Ben Horowitz once confessed his entrepreneurial experience:”

People ask me all the time, what’s the secret to a successful CEO? Really, there’s no secret. If so, it may be your ability to put your heart into it and find the best way out of a difficult situation.”

one.

Under intense job pressure, ceos sometimes fall into two extreme misconceptions.

The first is “a thousand mistakes are all my fault.”

Ceos who hold this view take on too much responsibility and feel they have to fix everything at once. However, this excessive self-blame often causes them to sink into anxiety and frustration.

The outgoing CEO may act grumpy and distraught, losing control of his or her anger and leaving employees feeling insecure and scared; Introverted ceos, on the other hand, may be Mired in deep self-blame and depression. CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）

Another erroneous view is that “it is not relevant, but it is too high.”

When faced with a company’s woes, some ceos choose to shirk responsibility, believing that the problem has nothing to do with them. They may be looking at the situation too optimistically, thinking that things won’t be that bad. They may feel that the problem is not serious and can be put off until later. However, while this attitude of avoiding responsibility can make them temporarily relaxed, the problem is not really solved. It will only lead to disappointment and frustration for employees because they do not see leadership’s attention to the problem and solutions.

In fact, the ideal attitude of a good CEO is to be both decisive and rational. He should be able to identify the root cause of the problem and need to make quick decisions at critical moments, while not being swayed by emotions. Only in this way can he lead his employees to jointly develop effective solutions and lead the team to tackle challenges together.

Ceos need to learn to take responsibility when it’s appropriate, instead of over-blaming or avoiding responsibility. Only in this way can they win the trust and respect of employees and jointly promote the development of the company. CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）

two.

To be a great CEO, you need to have a clear purpose and be fully committed to your work. Of course, a wealth of knowledge and wisdom is also essential, so that people will be willing to follow you. After all, no one wants to work hard to start a business only to be a terrible boss, or to run a small start-up company, or to have it held back by cumbersome bureaucracy.

The road to success is full of ups and downs, and unexpected situations are inevitable. But that’s okay, just stay calm and take it in stride.

But the hardest part is that, as a boss, you have to learn by doing.

No training course can teach you once and for all how to be a CEO and how to run a company. The only way to learn to be a CEO is to be a CEO yourself, even if it means facing a bunch of tough questions and figuring out how to solve them without readily available answers. But that’s your job, because you’re the one making the decisions.

Essential elements of a successful CEO

First, accept your imperfections

When I first became CEO, I had an incident where an investor asked me to send out a “market cap chart.” To be honest, I was a little confused because I didn’t know what the form should look like or what key information it should contain. Although it was a small thing, it got me thinking: If I don’t understand such basic things, how can I deal with more complex challenges in the future?

So I went ahead and got the spreadsheet. However, this process is not easy because the market changes so fast and the competition is so fierce. Even when you think you know your job, new troubles and problems keep popping up. CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）

In the process, I came to realize a harsh truth: As a CEO, you can’t do everything perfectly. If you were to rate the strengths and weaknesses of ceos on a 100-point scale, the average score would be 22. This score is undoubtedly a huge psychological blow for many people who pursue perfection.

However, I think it’s normal and necessary to be comfortable with your imperfections. Because only in this way can we remain humble, keep learning, and strive to improve our abilities and performance.

Remember, no matter if you’re a CEO or whatever, no one is perfect. The important thing is that we can recognize our shortcomings, and have the courage to face and change.

Second, the CEO is responsible for everything in the company

When you have 10 employees, you can expect everything to be organized. But once you’re managing a team of hundreds or thousands of people, it’s almost impossible not to go wrong. As your company grows, you may feel bitter about your employees’ missteps and even doubt your ability to lead.

It’s hard when you see employees wasting time and procrastinating. As a CEO, this feeling is engraved on my mind, so that people can not eat sweet, sleepless night. If you keep blaming yourself for everything, you’re just adding salt to your wounds.

Sometimes, in the face of employee complaints and grievances, such as cumbersome reimbursement processes, inefficient work collaboration, etc., I may take responsibility for myself in a self-deprecating way. However, this joke is not easy, because it reveals a harsh truth: As CEO, I am not to blame.

In fact, any problem that arises in the company, no matter how big or small, is very relevant to my decision-making and management as CEO. In terms of talent selection, strategy formulation and other key links, I am the final decision maker. I can’t shirk the responsibility, because all this is the reality that I have to face. CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）

Whether it is personnel mistakes, performance substandard, outstanding employees leaving, conflicts between departments, product quality problems, these all directly or indirectly reflect my leadership ability. All this stress makes me feel like I’m on pins and needles. Although I am willing to bravely accept the responsibility, the pain and suffering inside is unspeakable. I only got 22 points in the CEO ability assessment, which made me feel depressed and powerless.

Third, self-psychological massage to deal with the crisis

Relying on employees to discuss the company’s survival when the company is in a rough place is largely futile. Discussions with the board of directors or outside experts are often difficult to come up with, because they have different professional backgrounds and perspectives than you, and it is difficult to give recommendations that match your expectations. CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）

At times like this, it’s like you’re on your own, and you have to figure it out. Here, I would like to share some of my own experience over the years, I hope to help you.

First of all, make more friends, especially those who have had similar experiences. Although they may not be able to provide you with a solution directly, communicating with them can provide you with some psychological comfort and support, as well as some experience and lessons.

Second, write your thoughts down and get your thoughts straight. When a company is faced with a big decision, our minds can be jumbled and it can be difficult to make an informed decision. At this point, writing down ideas can help us better organize our thinking, clarify our goals, and make smarter decisions. For example, when I was facing a company crisis, I used to clarify my thoughts by writing, and finally successfully led the company to tide over the difficulties.

Finally, remember: Keep your eyes on the road, not the wall. This is an important principle that I learned when I was learning to drive. When driving, we need to keep our eyes on the road ahead, rather than staring at walls or other obstacles on the side of the road.

The same goes for managing companies. Every day, there’s a lot of shit waiting for you to deal with, and if you’re not careful, it can go horribly wrong. But if you just focus on this shit, you’re like a runaway car that’s gonna take down the company sooner or later.

So, you have to keep your eyes on the target and stop thinking about what you want to avoid.

Fouth, wisdom and courage in the face of pressure

(1) The secret of a great CEO: Never give up.

During my time as CEO, I often felt great pressure and even gave up numerous times. I have seen people collapse under the pressure, even choosing to commit suicide or surrender completely. They find all kinds of reasons for giving up, but these people are not destined to be great ceos.

Because true leaders have experienced countless sleepless nights, tossing and turning, cold sweats, and that kind of indescribable inner “torment.” CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）

Whenever I meet successful ceos, I’m curious to ask them about their secrets to success. The response of the truly exceptional leaders is surprisingly consistent: “I never give up.” This simple but powerful sentence reveals the true meaning of success – to persevere no matter how difficult it is.

(2) Dare to act boldly and make decisions bravely.

In working with entrepreneurs, my partners and I value two qualities in each other: intelligence and courage. Years of experience have taught me that courage is often more important than wisdom at critical moments. Because no matter how high your intelligence, no matter how keen your intuition, if you lack the courage to face difficulties and make decisions, then everything will be in vain.

As a CEO, if you make a mistake, the consequences can be catastrophic. That pressure makes me walk on eggshells every time I make a decision. But I also know that only by constantly facing difficulties and making the right decisions will my courage grow.

Like the average person, ceos want to avoid responsibility when they make mistakes. But true leaders know that excuses and evasions don’t solve problems. Every time you summon up the courage to make a difficult but right decision, your courage is added. Conversely, if you choose an easy but wrong path out of fear of failure, then your timidity and cowardice will be exposed.

As CEO, it’s up to you whether your company is bold or timid.

Remember the importance of wisdom and courage in the face of stress and challenges. If entrepreneurship is a never-ending battle, the real challenges for entrepreneurs are just beginning. The next fight is not only wisdom, but also perseverance and courage. I hope everyone can go all the way to the end and be a real winner. CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）

由CXO UNION-CXO联盟（cxounion.cn）转载而成，来源于领导者养成笔记；编辑/翻译：CXO UNIONCXO联盟小U。

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