5 common myths successful CEOs like to tell you

Whether it’s in an interview in the trade magazines, in the college newspaper or on TV, CEOs of successful businesses like to paint a picture that belies the truth.

In some cases, it’s a romantic veneer over how hard they work, or how calculated they go about their management and this exists in part because the public wants an easily-digestible story of how to achieve results, or that it generally makes for a good uplifting reading.

Nobody likes to read a story of a struggle that includes constant repetition, problem-solving, manufacturing defects and late deliveries — it’s just “boring”. Read: Can’t sell newspapers or fill a business school auditorium.

The reality of it is much harsher yet simpler.

Read on for five common myths you’ll come across in interviews from successful CEOs (which you have to take with a generous pinch of salt):

1. Explain it to me like I’m a 3 year old (Spare me the details)

Whether it’s in a movie scene or an actual boardroom, the CEO wants a situation explained to him in simple terms, and looks like he isn’t knowledgeable or interested in the rocket science details of the matter.

Reality: No boss or for that matter, CEO of a large corporation gets to run the show without a clear understanding and comprehensive grasp of the product the company is selling. At the very least, there is a particular expertise that the CEO possesses that is an integral part of the process. Perhaps the boss might not know how to actually execute on biotech manufacturing in a lab but he knows how to sell or market it to the customers. No one “stumbles” into the role of leadership without qualities that make a difference.

It would be a mistake to believe the CEO is just a smiling figure-head for the company.

2. I was lucky to have hired the right people (So I don’t work as hard as I do)

CEOs like to attribute some of their success to the luck of the draw, especially towards the key employees whom they have brought into the team. It paints the picture that the folks you hire would suddenly go over and beyond the call of duty, and outperform in roles that ends up alleviating the boss from micro-managing the day-to-day processes in the firm.

Reality: For most bosses out there, hiring the right people to play the different important roles in the company, from Human Resources, Sales, Marketing to Distribution is one of the most difficult tasks in building a great company. More often that not, the hiring process stalls not because there isn’t a desire to expand, but rather there’s a dearth in available qualified professionals adequate to perform the job well.

No great employees happen or are hired by chance.