Should it be lonely to be a CEO?
It can be a solitary role being chief executive, but there is support available from the chairman, mentors and coaches.
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It is a well-worn cliché of leadership that it’s lonely at the top. Prime ministers, presidents, generals and the stars of sport, stage and screen—not to mention chief executives—have all observed that the higher they climb, the more isolated they become. But need it be so?
Today’s chief executive should be well buttressed by executive and non-executive colleagues, from whom advice and counsel can be sought. Externally, there is no shortage of professional mentors or coaches who can ease the loneliness of command. But each of these relationships may be compromised in ways that impede true candour, making it hard for a chief execut
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