Jason Kulpa, a San Diego entrepreneur, on becoming a CEO

Taking on a leadership role is one of the biggest steps in anyone's career, but it can also be one of the most difficult. It is important to understand the proper path to both effectiveness and success -- this is especially true if you are transitioning into a CEO role.

Here are some important matters to consider.

Command
While it may be apocryphal, Admiral Halsey’s admonition to his fellow naval officers is instructive. “When you’re in command, command.” This is advice that should be heeded, especially on a new CEO. The natural tendency for the average person is to try and get along with others, but this can lead to all kinds of problems when “a” manager becomes “the” manager
Ultimately, a chief executive’s main responsibility is to give orders and to see to it they are carried out. Few tasks are personally carried out by a CEO for a number of reasons, not the least of which is if the CEO is doing basic tasks, nobody is in charge.

Delegate
A leader’s second major responsibility is to assign tasks to subordinates. These tasks can be both basic day-to-day jobs or the responsibility to be in charge of others. It is not a mistake that most every king in history had a considerable retinue of underlings to carry out their wishes.
Delegation is vitally important. CEOs who do not learn to properly delegate can often find themselves overworked and/or spread too thin to be effective. More than a few well-known chief executives have had their companies and careers damaged by over-reliance on their own talent and skill. One person can only do so much.

Communicate
Being in charge and delegating only work properly if a leader is available and listens to his or her subordinates. Without the necessary information from other managers, employees, consultants, ownership and governance, a CEO has little to no contemporary knowledge upon which to base their decisions.
When complaining about their bosses, nearly every employee brings up communication as a chief reason they do not approve of management. A leader must be willing to listen, or they will find it is impossible to be effective or efficient.

Being a CEO is without a doubt one of the hardest jobs in the world. It isn’t for everyone, but even those who have little to no experience will find their task much easier if they learn the fundamentals and put them into practice.

About the author
Jason Kulpa is a San Diego, California-based entrepreneur, marketing expert, and philanthropist. He is also the founder of UE.co, a leading marketing and sales platform originally launched in 2008. Jason's years of experience have shaped him into a respected leader and innovator -- both in his field of expertise and in his community. He was named "Most Admired CEO" by the San Diego Business Journal in 2014.

To learn more about Jason Kulpa, click here.