Stephen H Baum Leadership

Leadership Blues Revisited

A colleague with my Vistage International (CEO membership) organization noted last week that more than a few CEOs with whom she had recently spoken revealed malaise with their lives. They are no longer as passionate, as committed to all-out success as once they were. As a result, they are not as highly motivated.

This observation seemed true for those who already have accumulated significant wealth and those who have yet to do so.

Today, I met with an entrepreneur turned divisional CEO of a corporation who expressed the same sentiment. We discussed the underlying facts.

Yes, his struggling parent company lacks the will and resources to enable him to continue to pursue a growth strategy for his unit which he has already doubled in size and share (or, for that matter, for itself).

His life is full of good family times, amusing (though not very satisfying) activities and extensive networking (though for no purpose in particular). His wealth and income are sufficient. His division followers appreciate his leadership. His parent sees him as the instrument for more than proportionate profits of the parent. So, what gives? Here are the additional factors that matter (there may be others):

1. Regulatory fatigue — he is tired of government agencies taxing his time with so many demands and picking fights he cannot avoid.

2. Millenial infection — the new hires generation cares more about its life story than its work story and it has seeped into his consciousness

3. Dependents independent — his teenagers are less interested in time with parents and he can see it going much less when they leave home. A vacuum looms.

4. Recession Incision — the challenge of the past three years has left a scar or two from what it took to score even singles and doubles in earnings.

5. Dragon draggin’ — there is no big enough dragon to slay, no goal sufficiently aspirational.

Should he start another enterprise? Join a company with tailwind? Challenge his own parent?

In future posts, we will visit with people who have been here and come out the other side. My bet is that they reflected on what really made them happy and gave them meaning, revisited their own cover story (current and future) and re-committed to something that moves them.

That’s just my view. What’s yours?

To take the pulse of CEOs and business owners across the U.S. and abroad, visit:

Vistage CEO Membership Organization