If there is a strategic executive to leverage the company's growth, it is certainly the CEO. Their renowned responsibility in corporate operations is entirely justified, as they are the ones who make difficult decisions and define the strategies and governance to be followed based on established goals. A position of great weight, but one that often also confers a certain superhero syndrome when acting in isolation in their work—something that can be highly detrimental to their deliverables.
Major moves managed by CEOs account for 45% of a company's performance, according to McKinsey data. However, at the same time, it is an extremely demanding and stressful role, in which 68% of them do not feel prepared to take on the position; moreover, only three out of five live up to performance expectations in the first 18 months.
It is not easy to take on such a significant responsibility in a business. Simply consider how many external factors—to a lesser or greater degree—influence corporate prosperity: reconfiguration of global trade; geopolitics; constant advances in digital transformation; sustainable demands; leadership in times of uncertainty; and increased concern for the mental health of teams, to name a few.
All these agendas constantly permeate the work of CEOs, with a very small and acceptable margin of error within organizations. This is because all their decisions are considered in both the short and long term, establishing robust governance and culture that structure the continuous and prosperous growth of the company in its sector.
With great power comes great responsibility. But how often is it possible to notice this executive requesting support from a colleague for a specific task? Who is their support network? Who can they truly count on to stand by their side?
No matter how prepared this executive may be, no one handles so many responsibilities alone. They need to have a supportive network ecosystem, analyze the scenario they are in, and determine whether they have a team ready to assist them with these demands—whether they have the right people to walk this path alongside them. If not, they must take difficult actions in this regard, whether by replacing teams or hiring new talents.
To mitigate any possibility of risks in their duties, a CEO should not have a superhero syndrome and act in isolation. Instead, they must deeply reflect on the competencies they lack and where to seek professionals who can contribute their knowledge and experiences to assist in this journey. It is these relationships of trust that invigorate and encourage each other to grow and prosper continuously.
Question senior leadership about this need and analyze your legacy as a CEO in your current role. Where do you want to go? What actions will you need to take to achieve these goals? Hire new talents, create different departments, intensify a specific culture to promote better team performance? And what technical and behavioral skills need to be reinforced in the professionals by your side to build this journey with greater assertiveness?
The corporate ecosystem must survive beyond this single individual, reinforcing the business environment in terms of culture to sustain it in future challenges. Although the CEO may set an example in terms of behavior for others, greater communication and unity in the efforts to be directed are necessary so that the collective gain becomes increasingly better and remarkable, driving the business as a benchmark in its sector.
