Have you ever dreamed of being the CEO of a company? It’s a common aspiration for many people, and for good reason – being the head of a successful organization can bring many benefits. But is the top job all it’s cracked up to be?
Accomplishment has a flipside
One of the most significant upsides of being a CEO is the sense of accomplishment that comes with it. As the leader of a company, you’re responsible for making important decisions that can have a significant impact on the success of the organization. Seeing your hard work pay off and watching the company grow and thrive can be incredibly rewarding.
Of course, things do not always go well. CEOs are accountable for their company’s performance, and if things go wrong, they’re the ones who take the blame. The pressure to perform can be overwhelming, and the long hours can take a toll on your personal life.
As the CEO, you’ll be faced with tough choices every day. Making touch choices comes at a price; of course, not everyone will be happy with the outcomes. Balancing the company’s needs with the needs of employees, shareholders, and customers can be challenging, and it’s easy to feel like you’re constantly walking a tightrope.
CEO burnout is a thing
Burnout among CEOs is a serious issue that can lead to various negative symptoms. Recognizing the signs of burnout is crucial for both CEOs and managers. Early identification can lead to faster recovery and prevention. Several key indicators of burnout include physical, behavioral, and mental/emotional signs.
More than half of managers (53%) report feeling burned out at work. According to Microsoft’s most recent Work Trend Index. Read more here.
Physical signs include constant fatigue or exhaustion, a weakened immune system leading to frequent illness, changes in appetite (either eating more or less than usual), muscle pain, tension headaches, nausea, and stomach discomfort.
Behavioral signs may include difficulty completing tasks and procrastination, withdrawing from friends, family, and colleagues, expressing frustration and negativity, and avoiding work responsibilities.
Mental and emotional signs of burnout include chronic anxiety, symptoms of depression (such as low self-esteem, feeling down or like a failure), developing a negative attitude toward work, and feeling a lack of accomplishment in one’s role.
Still interested? The path to being a great CEO
If you take the top job, I advise committing to being great at it. The things that are on the roadmap to success are the ones I think matter:
- Have a clear vision of where the company needs to go and believe that the future is going to be bright
- Be good at strategy or get help whilst you become good - our strategy consulting can help
- Know the customer you want to service and get others to share your obsession
- Know your competitors and how you can outmanoeuvre them
- Know what kind of culture you need to thrive and build it
- Build great teams and enable the best humans with the best technology
- Embrace measurement as an aid to outcome-based goal setting and diagnostics
- Develop high-level goal-setting skills using frameworks like OKR
- Empower teams to deliver against committed goals, solve problems, and support them where needed
- Lead by example every day
- Be good at telling stories and inspiring those around you; everyone wants to work for a great leader
- Listen to everyone, not just the C-suite, as there are insights everywhere
- Mentor and progress as many people as you can and be the boss they all talk about
- Lose the bad apples quickly before they spoil everyone else
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