How to become CEO before turning 30

Here are 3 things you should do if you want to become a young executive director, but full of energy and good ideas. Today, the way to become CEO is quite different that it used to be in the 20th century, especially in technology and internet startups.

However, the skills required to become an effective leader remain the same. Generally, acquiring these skills takes a lifetime, but there are ways to cope with the challenge of time. Here are 3 things you should do if you want to become a young executive director, but full of energy and good ideas.

1. Build a team that compensates your weakness

Even the most experienced executive needs to be surrounded by people who offer a guide, especially in areas that are outside his/her expertise area. This is essential especially for young leaders, more likely to make serious mistakes. Lack of experience can lead to painful consequences: hiring the wrong people, spend too much money, get caught up in bad contract clauses or come into conflict with the law, to name just a few.

Consider Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg’s example on Facebook: he manages the products, while she is a more business oriented person. Their skills complement each other, and they work together to achieve the common goal of building a successful business. On the other hand, the founders of Google Larry Page and Sergey Brin (who were 25 when they founded the company) hired the experienced Eric Schmidt, a man who brought his experience in business management before they felt ready to do so.

So, when building your leader team do not look for people who are exactly like you. Bet on those that can complement you, and challenge you in your growth.

2. Harness the power of positive and negative thinking

If you are undertaking in your twenties, you will face some advantages and disadvantages. The main disadvantage is, of course, the lack of work history, which could be a factor to be considered by a potential investor. To overcome this, you must spend many hours selling your idea to how many people want to hear it. In the venture capital universe, investors have been the most willing to bet on an inexperienced team. Another potentially useful strategy is to hire someone with more experience in fundraising, but be careful not to lose control of your company in the process.

on the other hand, an interesting advantage of being a young leader is that you probably are not aware of what things cannot be done, so you will do them anyway. This could lead to an unprecedented innovation, something that perhaps a more experienced person would lose sight of. And this is something great.

3. Be humble

Leaders should be transparent, as well as humble when appropriate (that is, very often). In fact, intellectual humility is for Google a hiring criterion stronger than credentials. Unfortunately, humility is often perceived as weakness, when it is, in fact, one of the greatest strengths a leader can possess.

Being humble is good, but a leader must also be willing to lead a business toward victory. So practice humility: just do not forget to win.