Browse the range of leadership training courses from respected, high-profile organizations. Discover the latest bestsellers at the top of the charts. As you do this, you will notice a common trend. Most, if not all, of the topics deal with how to get to the top.
What you will discover is a lot of delegation, decision making, culture building, growth tips and networking. These are all topics designed to help leaders navigate their way to the top, especially if you’re just starting out.
But there’s a problem: what happens when a CEO like you reaches the pinnacle of your success? If you haven’t taken the time to plan how to handle this crucial part of your career journey from a psychological perspective, you may start to falter.
In particular, a McKinsey and Company Checklist 2024 published for CEOs adds a lengthy section on personal development. After all, many CEOs neglect themselves and their future in the whirlwind of trying to keep their companies profitable, putting them at risk of burnout. And overcome professional burnout, which affects about half of all leadersis a difficult task, and it’s even harder when you don’t know how to maintain your edge, your identity, or your money once you’re in charge.
What is the solution? Spend time as a CEO developing your ability to remain holistically self-aware. It means recognizing the other side of your life that isn’t limited to employees, customers, board members, financial documents, and general joy.
To get started, try following the following steps. They’ll help you start your journey to becoming the CEO of your world from a global perspective, not just as a current resident of the biggest office around.
1. Surround yourself with a community of supportive CEOs
As the saying goes, it’s lonely at the top. But it is not obligatory.
Joining a community of like-minded CEOs who also want to improve their ability to manage their personal lives can be very beneficial. Mike Brown, the founder of the mastermind group Unshakable wealthhas seen how important it can be for a CEO to be surrounded by others who are experiencing similar successes. Brown’s group works to give entrepreneurial CEOs the skills to navigate their eventual post-exit without getting lost in the process.
Too many CEOs wait until they leave or retire to focus on “what’s next.” However, you shouldn’t have to come across a corporate outing event. (You will leave the company one day, even if you are now a young CEO.) Being friends with others in the same boat can help reduce uncertainty.
2. Treat some of your personal time as non-negotiable.
Studies have shown that CEOs and entrepreneurs are twice as likely to divorce. Sometimes the cause of these marital breakdowns is that CEOs focus all their attention on their business rather than their private relationships. And there’s a reason for that: Many CEOs neglect those close to them like they would never neglect their business relationships.
Certainly, every CEO has to take care of things in many different areas of their business. This is to be expected. Yet after many years of paying close attention to a company, a CEO’s personal time can start to seem unnecessary. Or maybe it might even seem unimportant. Yet your personal world will be one of the things that matters most after leaving the corporate world.
If you have focused all of your attention on work, consider investing in the services of a CEO life coach. We Are the Women Offers executive coaching specifically for female CEOsbut it is just one of many organizations devoted to the topic of self-preservation and family preservation. Even if you are involved in other types of coaching communities, you may find one that focuses on preserving your personal well-being. And these commitments can be invaluable.
3. Approach your next personal venture as if it were a business.
Many CEOs feel lost when they reach the top or consider leaving their position. Ironically, this actually helps prepare them to successfully take their next steps. This is the case as long as they treat the scenes as if they were businesses.
Is it any wonder that so many retired or former CEOs end up succumbing to some of the most common psychological reactions to retirement? These include feeling alone, discovering who they are without their role, and identifying their fulfilling passions. One approach is: Take the CEO’s perspective on how you will live your life when you no longer have the CEO title.
By anticipating these concerns (just as you anticipate business obstacles), you can ward off their intense effects. And if you start this thought process while you’re still CEO, you can minimize how difficult it can be to make a major transition later.
Being a CEO doesn’t come with a definitive roadmap. In many cases, those around you expect you to apply a combination of your instincts and technical know-how and then hope for the best. However, you can avoid feeling bad when it comes time to move forward with your life. You can do this by reframing your values and projecting what true success means.
