Are you destined for the boardroom?

What are the characteristics that could mark you out as the next Alan Sugar?High energy levels, desire to be in charge and the ability to cut through complexity are three of the key attributes that distinguish those destined to be CEOs from other executives.

Certain traits can also lead CEOs to derail in their careers. This includes getting too focused on micromanaging detail and not being able to express discontent and disagreement openly and directly.

These are just some of the findings from a recent Pulse on Leaders study carried out by Personnel Decision International (PDI) which analyzed data from a large group of leaders (9,226) - from senior executives to first-level leaders - and CEOs (148), in order to find out how CEOs are different from other leaders and what characteristics make them successful.

'We wanted to examine what the select few who make it to the top possess that others lack," said PDI's Simon Callow, Managing Director. "Today's CEOs have the weight of the world on their shoulders - keeping a business viable and successful in changing economic circumstances, meeting board and shareholder expectations and predicting consumer preferences that could change the direction of the company. This research gives us some insight into what it takes to lead at this level,'

According to the study CEOs demonstrated a higher ability to understand complex, ambiguous information by analyzing and detecting systematic themes.

'Due to the nature of the role, CEOs need to be able to digest a great deal of information quickly and determine which pieces of information indicate trends or themes that are important to the business. Finding vital information from seemingly unsystematic or extraneous information is an essential skill in running a business and predicting potential challenges,' Callow continued.

Another trait that CEOs share is higher energy levels. Looking at any daily schedule of today's CEOs makes it very clear why this is a necessary trait for success. Callow explained: 'Not only do CEOs need to handle a hectic schedule, they need to naturally prefer an extreme amount of activity and not depend on downtime to recharge.'

Two other characteristics that CEOs display more than other leaders is the desire to be in charge and the ability to be persuasive. "You have to want to be at the top to be a successful CEO. This is not a role you want to accidentally fall into. Top leaders are comfortable calling the shots, persuading others about the decisions they think are right and taking the responsibility that goes along with the power position,' said Callow.

'Of course, possessing these traits alone does not guarantee one will make it to the CEO position. It also doesn't mean that if you lack these traits, you cannot fit the role. The other crucial component for the top job is having the right set of career experiences," Callow added. 'For those with their eye on the CEO job, experiences that are high risk with potential high return for the company and experiences that are highly visible throughout the organization tend to help an individual be prepared to take on the responsibilities of leading the company.'