Vision, strategy, planning - these are terms that are synonymous with the job of a Chief Executive Officer or CEO. To begin with, running or starting a successful business is all about focusing on the right areas. Most people are of the opinion that a reasonable share price and achieving targets are all the only signs of a successful CEO. However, the job of a CEO is multi-faceted and complex in many ways. Product development, research and development, employee satisfaction, strategic planning - the list is comprehensive. In a world where markets change at a rapid pace, planning and remaining focused are essential for the success of any CEO. Apart from performance, it is also the duty of a CEO to protect the company all the way into the future.

One of the three fundamental roles of a CEO is that of a leader. The company's vision, mission of the team, and strategies, need to be established by the CEO. Apart from leadership, a CEO also acts as a project manager, playing a major role in operations with utilization of company resources such as employees and capital equipment. Just as a project manager gets the best out of his team, the CEO needs to get tasks accomplished through the efforts of the employees. A CEO plays an important role in executing the company's operating plan to achieve the company's goals. A CEO also plays the role of coach and mentor to his or her subordinates. Since he or she is responsible for picking the management team, a CEO needs to help employees improve upon their performance and even counsel them. Working with the employees to improve their efficiency levels can ensure the success of any CEO.

CEO need to form strategies that are in line with their company's vision. To achieve this, they need to work in a team to develop a strategy and plan. The company's structure needs to be organized in a manner to achieve its vision. Schedules, assigning tasks and the necessary resources are an integral part of a CEO job. The CEO also has to ensure that the employees are placed in the appropriate positions in order to achieve their tasks. He also needs to ensure that training programs focus on the job at hand. Another task that CEO need to undertake is to facilitate problem solving. This can be achieved by entrusting the task to team members and lending their knowledge to the process.

One of the important duties of CEO is accountability. CEO also play a major role in delegating responsibilities. By doing this, employees are given a specific role that empowers them to act and holds them accountable. This helps to get the best out of every employee and is a great management theory. As CEO, also needs to mentor employees to make them produce results that are expected and at times, beyond expectation. CEO need to be excellent communicators so that employees perform well. The CEO job is also to keep people well informed about the company's initiatives and progress. While doing this, CEO can build positive and effective working relationships in the company, both internally and externally.