The CEO's To-Do List: An Insight into the Company's Organization and Impact

As a CEO, you may find yourself drowning in a never-ending list of tasks. However, there's more to your task list than just the never-ending stream of responsibilities. In fact, it can reveal a lot about the organization and structure of the company and how you, as the CEO, can maximize your impact on the results and valuation of the company.

The Task List: What Does it Tell You?

Your task list is a reflection of your organizational skills and structure. A structured task list, such as one on Asana or Notion, can indicate that you are organized and have a clear plan for what needs to be done. On the other hand, if your task list is unstructured, such as a cluttered inbox or a series of post-it notes, it may indicate a lack of organization and planning.

Additionally, looking at the tasks themselves can reveal important insights into the business. For example, if a particular department is generating a lot of tasks, it may indicate a lack of leadership or inefficient processes in that department. Moreover, if your task list is filled with old, unresolved tasks, it can be a sign of poor management and a need for upgrades in your leadership team and processes.

Maximizing Your Impact as a CEO

As a company grows, the CEO's role changes from relying on individual effort to relying on a strong team. If this is the case for you, your task list should reflect your focus on the three core responsibilities of a CEO: communication, team building, and funding.

Communication: Reinforcing the vision, mission, values, and north star of the company.

Team Building: Recruiting, retaining, and developing a strong senior leadership team.

Funding: Ensuring that the company never runs out of money.

However, if you have a specific expertise in a particular area of the business, such as product development, you may want to retain some individual responsibility in that area.

Ultimately, the question you should ask yourself is "how can I best contribute to maximizing the velocity and value of my company?" Your answer will determine the types of tasks that are appropriate for you, whether it be guiding and enabling your team or leading and directly contributing to the part of the business where you have unique skills.

As your company grows and your team expands, it's crucial to be selective about what you allow on your personal task list. Remember, even though your team may be doing more and more things, there's still only one of you. Over time, you'll need to be increasingly selective about what you add to your task list to maximize your impact as a CEO.