Feeling the Pressure? You’re Not Alone and Here’s Why.
Over breakfast this morning, my husband asked me the question of the decade. No, he didn't want to renew our vows
He wanted to know why, in organisations that seem to be tracking well, where the team appreciates their leadership and where change and transformation have been positive, a CEO would not feel at ease, and why a Board might not renew a CEO's contract.
He mused on the complexity of the job in 2025 and observed that nobody would want to be a CEO in these times (compared to the years I spent in my roles). It's true: things have changed enormously, I agreed, and Boards don't always behave in ways that seem rational and fair. And I told him he is not alone in his view.
In fact, his question reminded me of an AFR article shared on LinkedIn this week by a colleague, written by Andrea Clarke, from earlier this year (apologies, it's behind their paywall). You can also read this astute observation from Matt Church in full. While not specifically about CEOs, Matt's reflections on cognitive load coping have profound relevance for leaders today.
Like watching the news on television, and feeling overwhelmed, you're hearing about your lack of space, time, clarity, capacity and job security ad infinitum on every social media platform. And it's entirely possible this makes you feel even worse about what you're carrying.
Economic uncertainty, community unrest, social license, technological acceleration, and environmental shifts. These aren't individual challenges. They're overlapping, relentless, and often quietly exhausting. I know I don't need to tell you that. You're living it. If you've noticed the pressure building, both around you and within you, you're not imagining it. Don't gaslight yourself.
But here's the critical part: recognising the weight doesn't mean you're failing. It means you're awake to what's real. It means there's true HOPE.
One of my clients, reflecting on a tough time she had faced, said to me in her session this week, "I did what any good leader would do." "Oh, I just called myself a good leader".
Then came her breakthrough. She is a great leader, and she doesn't have to try to do everything by herself. She doesn't have to carry everything on her own. She can ask for support and insights from her team, from her corporate peers, and from me.
She can pause, recalibrate, make sense of scenarios, and choose carefully what she focuses on — whether at work, at home, or in the world; especially the narrative she chooses about herself and her role, as well as what she can control.
You can, too. Even when you feel ill at ease, or that the Board might be wavering, given that they are under similar pressures.
It is more complex in 2025; that's undeniable. There's less nuance and more pressure to take a binary view of everything.
Still, your reputation is built on the hope you create and the way your team will remember you. That's the legacy you leave, whether you stay a full term or not.
