The CEO Struggle - Sustaining the Leader
It’s early evening, and a CFO takes a call. A headhunter has a tempting proposition: a multinational on an M&A drive is seeking a new CEO. Can she talk? The toplines sound great. A prestigious position in an outstanding organization. It's a natural step up. An intriguing challenge.
All these factors matter to an incoming CEO. But they are not enough. The organizational setting will be critical: from the board and C-suite team, to the firm’s higher purpose. So, too, the top executive’s access to a peer entourage, her attitudes, purpose and self-care. “Usually, these factors are not considered enough,” says Fredy Hausammann, Managing Partner of Amrop in Switzerland. “If you have a legacy executive team and a non-executive board which aren’t ideally configured, you’ll have trouble.” In essence: “If the setting is right, you don't have to worry about the rest.”
So far in ‘The CEO Struggle’ we’ve unpacked the problems that can harm a CEO’s health and performance. A vicious cycle of mind-bending complexity, pressure, and a lack of support set many leaders up to fail. We've unpacked the characteristics that equip a CEO for a sustainable tenure.
Now we ask: what systems should organizations be installing to support CEOs? How can CEOs better support themselves?
Sustaining the Leader
What systems should organizations be installing to support CEOs? How can CEOs better support themselves?
Structures & Systems
The Board
A trusted relationship between the firm's executive and non-executive bodies is needed from the get-go, he says. “If one of these pieces is wrong, the CEO will fail.” The non-executive board must safeguard the interests of the organization, appointing and guiding the CEO. Its NEDs must remain neutral yet alert, at arm’s length from the firm’s operations, whilst maintaining a clear picture of its workings. They must support, yet challenge, the CEO. If the relationship breaks down, the writing is on the wall. But a well-calibrated information flow and alarm system enables a struggling leader to raise red flags - before a drama becomes a crisis.
“Normally the CEOs I know have a board who are supporting them and giving good input, even if it's always stressful for the CEO when it comes to the board,” says Emilie Boullet Lacoste, a Partner of Amrop NESS in France. “Good, experienced non-executive directors know exactly what's going on,” says Roland Theuws, a Partner of Amrop in the Netherlands. Still, there are gaps. “Board support is much better compared to 5 years ago, but still not enough,” says Naohiro “Nakki” Furuta, Managing Partner of Amrop Jomon in Japan and a Global Amrop Board Member.
In ‘The Quest for Resilience,’ Amrop Partners recommended an objective board evaluation prior to bringing in a new CEO. But the gears can quickly slip. A running board evaluation cycle keeps things on track.⁷
“The Board and CEO need to challenge each other, but it's a question of style, knowledge, shared interest,” argues Fredy Hausammann. If the connection and trust dissolve, contribution gives way to finger-pointing, “creating a corrosive, toxic energy in the system. Then it's a culture not of trust, but of worry: the next mistake, the next board meeting, because whatever they present will be torn apart.” Instead, “it’s about feeling jointly responsible.” Sandy McKenzie is a Managing Partner of UK. He observes: “So often, CEOs are not getting what they need to support their success.”
The Chair
“Who is the sounding board for the CEO?” asks Roland Theuws, a Partner with Amrop in the Netherlands. “The Chair is the most logical, but there has to be a click.” Sandy McKenzie agrees. “However, there are probably a significant number of dysfunctional relationships.”
Does it help if the Chair has first-hand experience of the CEO struggle? “It depends on personality,” says Emilie Boullet Lacoste. “It’s difficult to generalize, but a past CEO has a more 360-degree perspective.” For Fredy Hausammann, CEO experience is not a pre-requisite. “The Chair just requires sufficient C-suite and supervisory experience. Relevance is more about personality.”
How often should the CEO and Chair meet? Roland Theuws. “I would think it normal as a Chair to have a Teams meeting or call with my CEO at least once a week, and keep a close dialogue and finger on the pulse: what's happening, can you share? The Chair is crucially important.”
The C-suite team
The top of the corporate mountain is also lonely. Fredy Hausammann: “CEOs don’t tend to share their struggle with the Board.” This increases the importance of the C-suite team in senior leadership hiring and development. An incompetent team loads yet more work on the CEO’s desk, leading to sickness, burnout and failure, warns Roland Theuws. Emilie Boullet Lacoste: “CEOs prefer to know exactly what they can expect.” They must also reconcile urgent shareholder demands with a long-term strategy. “So they need people they can trust.”
In ‘Survival of the Fittest’, Amrop executive search partners examined the evolution in C-suite specialist roles. ⁸ Finance/Regulatory executives are still the most sought-after in C-suite recruitment. But the CHRO also deserves elevation. And even if it is not (yet) embodied by a CXO, digital/AI know-how must be wired into the C-suite. The C-suite must be fluid yet structured. CXOs must help each other without over-stepping. This is difficult, given the human tendency to compartmentalize things.
How big should the C-suite be? There is no recipe. But five people ensure collective wisdom and time to think and strategize. The CFO and COO are non-negotiables. Their relationship with the CEO is pivotal – ideally complemented by the CHRO. These core roles can be complemented by an extended management team. And Fredy Hausammann recommends one or two colleagues with whom a CEO can discuss personal troubles. “A sense of shared responsibility naturally follows.”
Making waves
No wonder a new CEO will likely examine the top team, then ring the changes – most likely the CFO, says Emilie Boullet Lacoste “They almost always hire someone they know.” The CFO’s insight into the organization’s financial circuitry and responsibility to communicate with shareholders intensify the need for that trust. Even if the CEO is free to alter the chess board, problems can surface. CXOs may be eyeing the top seat (and the Nominating Committee may be eyeing their suitability). Machiavellian players may be actively manipulating their way upward, or tacitly failing to support the CEO. Three quarters of cross-functional teams are dysfunctional.⁹ “Heads of functions are too often working in silos,” observes Sandy McKenzie. “They may identify different values and goals.” A well-composed, well-running team is “a place of sanctity.”
What can be done?
In many cases, team composition is under par, with no objective assessment to fix it. Yet, an assessment can be transformative. Sandy McKenzie recalls a client whose CFO was heading for the exit. After team improvements, the CFO reconsidered. “Rather than retiring at 55 with a large pay check, he wants to go for another 5-year cycle.”
When it comes to teamwork, Sandy McKenzie recommends looking before leaping, rather like an American football team who spend hours running through formations before a match. Unfortunately, most teams are playing blind. “More often than not, we’ll get a brief on what was wrong before, or now, and what's needed to fix it. They're probably not far off the mark. But it's still gut-led. It's emotive."
Coaching and mentoring
The Board, Chair, and top team. Capped by purpose, these three pillars build healthy structures around the leader. All contain pitfalls. In our last article, self-awareness emerged as a critical characteristic for CEOs. But as we argued, this takes feedback and self-observation, and neither are as obvious as they sound.
Unequivocal, discreet and skilled support. Honest input. This brings us to coaching and mentoring. Both provide a safe space for the CEO to open up and gain counsel. Both require non-judgement and empathy. But they are distinctive crafts.
Coaching sharpens specific skills short term and inspires growth. Mentoring nurtures long term growth through shared experience. A good coach blends clear communication, adaptability, and integrity. A good mentor combines wisdom and guidance to foster a long term, personal and professional evolution.
Both are powerful. Coaching involves working through scenarios and reaching the answer yourself, says Sandy McKenzie. “But that place where you can pour everything out and be put back together again with powerful questions is undervalued.” Organizations too often leave structural support up to the CEO. “It feels very haphazard, with limited consistency.”
“CEOs should have mentors,” adds Joseph Teperman, Managing Partner of Amrop in Brazil. A client recently hired support for three Brazil CXOs in Brazil, and two country General Managers.
“It’s a sign of weaknesses to hire a coach,” says Emilie Boullet Lacoste. High expectations are often unmet, because coachees fail to engage. “If they don't really work during the process, nothing changes: they revert to their old behaviors and habits.”
Absent any mentoring or coaching provision, CEOs often seek informal counsel from Amrop Partners. “Some people want a change. I see that they are not 100% in shape, or certain about they want to do next,” says Joseph Teperman. He gently advises them to take a breath: a hiring organization will sense that not all is well. “I think I’m attractive because I’m human, not an opposer.”
Self care
The structures surrounding the CEO are often under par, underexploited or absent. What lies within the CEO’s locus of control? People who have lived through adversity know exactly how important self-care is. “CEOs who went into burnout or depression are vaccinated: they don't want to be in that place anymore,” says Joseph Teperman.
Purpose
“What am I doing here?” It’s one of the first questions a CEO may ask as the latest storm breaks. In 'The Quest for Resilience' we saw the importance of personal purpose – and for it to be aligned with that of the organization. Purpose is vital to motivate employees, says Fredy Hausammann, Managing Partner of Amrop in Switzerland. “Of course, if the CEO is only interested in his ambition and compensation, this can’t happen.” Roland Theuws. “If you don't like selling diapers, you’ll be constantly struggling.”
Fluidity is the name of the game. Sandy McKenzie: “Personal purpose links strongly to values and motivators, and those can change over time. Your needs and financial situation can change significantly from age 40 to 60 – the typical catchment zone for these roles. Purpose is critical, and not getting your needs met is a big factor in exhaustion, stress, and burnout.”
A ‘true north’ helps the resilient CEO to set boundaries and make decisions. It guides the leader through ambiguity, moral and strategic tensions. It provides gravitas and confidence, enabling the CEO to consistently and credibly embody the organization’s purpose - especially facing cynicism or mistrust.11
But purpose must be about something bigger than dollar signs, says Joseph Teperman. Otherwise you are setting yourself up for golden handcuffs. “People are counting the days to get out.” Sandy McKenzie agrees. “Once the basics are in situ, it’s about making a difference in employees lives, ensuring these are “bigger and more whole.”
Purpose is best anchored from the outset of a CEO’s tenure: when the going gets tough, the ensuing war of attrition can blast the north star out of orbit and drive a CEO back into firefighting mode, warns Emile Boullet Lacoste. “Every day, CEOs are fighting with the bank to get financing. Their main focus is on EBITDA and growth.”
Mental Equipment
In The CEO Struggle: The Quest For Resilience we surfaced 6 building blocks for CEO resilience . These are keenly sought by Amrop Consultants when interviewing candidates. Here are 4 examples of what a resilient CEO does better.
1. Cultivates emotional intelligence
2. Seeks and processes feedback.
3. Learns from failure.
4. Practices agile leadership
Go to the full article to find out why
Beware the thinking traps
CEOs must also be aware of the unconscious mental shortcuts or 'heuristics' that we all develop to cope with complexity, especially when we lack information. Whilst these ‘rules of thumb,’ may be useful, they also make us prone to biases which can compromise our wellbeing.12, 13
Work-life balance is a modern cliché and CEOs are constantly urged to ‘set boundaries’. But the pressure to personify the split between work and private lives is yet another performance area to deal with. Could CEOs benefit from removing the partition walls? Nakki Furuta. “Most CEOs I talk with feel that their private and work lives should be more integrated than balanced. As a senior executive, you can’t divide yourself into two people: parent, or CEO.” This doesn’t mean CEOs should lose themselves. “Only you, not the people around you, can detect that you’re in difficulty or danger. You have to neutrally observe yourself.”
Could you risk tripping into a thinking trap? Find out the 8 common pitfalls in the full article
Peers
Strong external support systems, trusted advisors and peer networks give a CEO psychological safety and perspective, says Sandy McKenzie. In theory, other CEOs should be an obvious source of solace. But as the Financial Times recently signaled, one-upmanship can lurk.14 CEO roundtables, private dinners, or the WEF Davos summit are a way for top executives to size up the competition and fuel anxiety. Joseph Teperman: “People won’t talk a lot about their problems. They’ll talk about their achievements. You can't open the kimono, as we say.”
Still, a well-disposed and facilitated forum (warmed by excellent wine) can have considerable value. He has built several informal leadership communities and is a member of the global Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO). He recalls an early session where, as usual, the participants were listing achievements. So he asked participants to talk about the dark side. Everybody had important and longstanding problems. A year later, they had all been solved. “It is a learning tool, a safe space to share vulnerabilities and grow.”
Fitness
In 'The Quest for Resilience,' we touched upon CEO hiring and the need to be visibly in shape. Whether skiing, playing baseball or watching sports, “it’s about being away from your opposition, your concerns about the company,” says Nakki Furuta. We also saw how resilient CEOs practice obvious measures to combat stress and tiredness: resting and resetting, avoiding addictions. Mindfulness practices such as writing, walking, yoga, and practising or observing the arts, are powerful aids.
Meditation in particular can support long-term resilience.15 Amrop Jomon in Japan hosts Zen meditation hours. Japanese and expatriate CEOs alike are enthusiastic. Instead of constraints and drivers, these sessions emphasize space and non-attachment. “You should not have any goal or objective. You should be aware of and distanced from from any kind of obsession. Just having Zen - the meditation.”
Pinned to targets, stretched by an ever- widening spectrum of imperatives, deafened by external and internal noise, a modern CEO is like a rider trying to control a wild stallion. It is vital to take moments to dismount. To suspend judgment, take a breath, and observe the horse as it runs off, safe in the knowledge that by the time it heads over the hill, it’s already circling back.
Read the Full report
DownloadReferences and further reading
¹ www.oxfam.org.uk
² Wright, O., O’Neill, S., Oxfam chief stands down amid bullying claims. The Times, December 14 2025
³ Pike, J., Oxfam chief forced to step down after accusations of bullying. BBC.
⁴ Ungoed-Thomas, J., War at Oxfam: how the chief and the chair turned on each other. The Observer.
⁵ Caluwe, L., et al. (2024). Board roles required for IT governance to become an integral component of corporate governance. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems 54 (2024) 100694
⁶ Amrop (2025). Governance For What’s Next 1: The Great Reset.
⁷ Amrop (2025). Governance For What’s Next 4: Future-Proof Evaluation
⁸ Amrop (2024). Survival of the Fittest: How C-suite roles are evolving – and what it means for top teams. Parts One (Ecoystem) and Two (The CEO).
⁹ Tabrizi, B., (2015). 75% of Cross-Functional Teams are Dysfunctional. Harvard Business Review, June 23. A study of 95 teams in 25 leading corporations, chosen by a leading panel of academics and experts).
10 Researchandmarkets.com, (April 8, 2025). Antidepressant Drugs Market to Double by 2034 Driven by Mental Health Awareness and Treatment Innovation | Telemedicine and Online Pharmacies Reshape Global Distribution Landscape. Figure based on a compound annual growth rate of 7.5%
11 Amrop (2026): The CEO Struggle; Sustaining the CEO
12 Amrop (2016). Wising Up.
13 Rose Gould, W., (April 01, 2025). Don't Fall for the Sunk Cost Fallacy: Tips for Smarter Life Decisions. Verywellmind.
14 Raval, A., Financial Times, (24 November, 2025). The one-upmanship driving CEOs.
15 Kwak, S., et al. (2019). The Immediate and Sustained Positive Effects of Meditation on Resilience Are Mediated by Changes in the Resting Brain. Participants in a 4-day meditation intervention were tested against a control group on a relaxation retreat, using MRI scans and two tests: the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale (CAMS) and Resilience Quotient Test (RQT). Whilst both participants and control groups showed positive CAM and RQT results post-intervention, neuroimaging revealed that only the meditation group sustained the enhancement after 3 months.
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