Rafael Pastor, CEO of Vistage International Describes The Most Important Leadership Attributes

With over 15,000 members, Vistage International is the world’s largest association of CEOs. The CEOs come from small to large companies from around the world that meet once a month to discuss how they can be more effective both as leaders and discuss practical ways to improve their businesses. Vistage also provides outside speakers and conferences. The Chairman and CEO of Vistage International, Rafael Pastor, sat down with Robert Reiss, host of The CEO TV Show to discuss what Vistage does and why it is important.

What is the objective of Vistage with respect to its CEO members?

“Our objective,” Pastor explained, “is ultimately to make the CEO smarter, more successful, and happier. CEOs are responsible for adding jobs and value to our economy; when they are smarter, more successful, and happier, everyone wins. The CEO function is essentially an isolated job where truly only other CEOs can appreciate the dynamic. That’s why Vistage organizes its members in small groups so CEOs can speak openly among their non-competitive peers.”

What has been the recent issues concerning most CEOs?

“Well, we’ve just gone through perhaps the most challenging economy that any of us can remember. More than at any other time, CEOs have been faced with competitive challenges, mostly not of their making and beyond their ability to control. Of course, that has meant cutting costs and jobs. Those still standing now are leaner, and learned how to do more with less. So they’ve learned how to stay in business with fewer workers, leaning how to use the internet more effectively, and also to go international to take advantage of the global economy in ways they never thought of before.” Pastor added.

What is the role of leadership, and what are the major characteristics?

Rafael replied that “Leadership is all about character. I like to explain that character is comprised of ‘the four Cs’.” To find out more about Vistage International and the four Cs’ of leadership, watch our video interview with Rafael Pastor, CEO of Vistage International.

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