Chief Executive Officers - It's Lonely at the Top

Chief Executive Officers - It's Lonely at the Top

There’s not much sympathy for most Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) in companies. No matter what the size of the company they tend to be viewed as getting a high salary, lots of perks, no-one telling them what to do and everyone doing what they say.

Some of this is true. However, there is an unseen side to the CEO position that is only really understood by those who have been in the role or those who have acted as their close adviser or coach.

It can be a very lonely place.

The CEO is expected to make all the decisions and direct the company. They’re expected to have the answers and to provide the right solution when the company runs into problems. They have to be the face of the company whether the results are good or bad, and they have to take the decisions that no-one else wants to take. They are where the buck stops.

And the hardest thing about all that is that often there’s no-one to talk to. It really is lonely at the top.

Imagine you’re a CEO. You’ve reached the top. Everyone looks to you. You make the decisions. You’re the one they all turn to. But who can you turn to? Who can you really trust?

Your employees don’t want to see any sign of indecision. Your fellow directors are looking for promotion to your position, so you don’t want to show them any sign of weakness. The board will be reviewing your performance and pay soon, so you don’t want to give them a reason to doubt you. Your partner or your family don't really understand your business and you don’t want to burden them with your worries. And your friends are more interested in their own lives or the progress of their favourite sports team. But you just want someone to talk to.

You want someone who you can trust. Not someone to give you the answers, but a sounding board to bounce your ideas off. Someone to help you clear your mind and guide you to the right decisions that you know you can make. You want a friend, a confidant, a business mind, someone who understands, someone who won’t judge, someone who has your best interests in mind and no hidden agenda.

If you’ve ever watched the Godfather, you’ll know about the role of Consigliere, portrayed by Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen. The Consigliere was the trusted friend, counselor and advisor. And although I’m sure you have no intention of running your business like something from the Sopranos, it’s still an essential requirement for most CEOs. The challenge for most CEOs is that they either don’t realize this or they realize it and don’t know where to find it.

In reality everyone needs someone like this, whether you’re a CEO of a thriving company, the head of your family or just the president of your own back yard. It’s a role sometimes filled by a coach or a mentor. In some cases you may be lucky enough to have a partner who you can really confide in.

Start looking around today to find someone who can be your consigliere. It may be someone like a coach who you pay to provide the service or it may be a mentor or trusted friend that you can rely on. You’ll find that once you fill that role, your life is a lot less lonely and your decisions are lot more easy to make.