5. Have A Sense Of Urgency

CEOs should feel comfortable delegating to a chief financial officer and letting him or her sweat the small stuff, but the top boss needs to keep an eye on trendlines that could indicate the company is in serious trouble.

Garner receives an email from his comptroller every day indicating how much money is in IT Weapons' bank account so that he can track changes in how much money is coming in.

As the CEO, Garner said he needs to be able to tap dance and multitask well. He sees his most important tasks as removing obstacles; setting clear expectations; giving employees recognition; identifying the best prospects and paying them well; and, when necessary, helping with decision making.