The key element to restore work-life balance for CEOs

A burgeoning number of CEOs left their posts in 2023, the highest turnover rate since 2002 as reported by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement and coaching organisation. The report tracked 1,914 CEOs on a global scale leaving their jobs the year before, with 19 of them having passed away while on the job.

This is, as Stephanie Mehta, CEO and Chief Content Officer of Mansueto Ventures, would say, “a sobering statistic”. As she writes in Fast Company, the report led her to ponder the issue of CEO burnout, something that occurs when leaders of big organisations do not prioritise wellness in their lives, which can be more difficult at a time when the highest position of the organisation is usually the frontliner facing challenges that could affect multiple jobs at all levels. Exploring how some CEOs and leaders find ways to achieve a work-life balance, Mehta interviewed a few CEOs to garner insight.

One of these CEOs, Nikhil Deogun, CEO of the Americas for Brunswick Group, which advises organisations and CEOs on critical issues, shared that for him, discipline was key to avoiding burnout. Successful CEOs follow this by establishing routines and/or habits that allow them to disconnect from work, such as meditation in the morning and before bed, or prioritising family and powering down moments to relax and disconnect from work.

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“Because the job of running an organisation has become more complex in recent years, CEOs need work-life balance more than ever,” Mehta underscored. Leaders who are stressed would struggle to manage a workforce that is still being buffeted by the effects of geopolitical issues and global crises, especially when it comes to making decisions. CEOs, in conclusion, should be able to set boundaries to stop the need for external validation that can lead to unhealthy behaviours and fatigue, and be willing to explore why they need to fuel that desire within them.