96% of leaders experience some degree of burnout during their career (Kwoh, 2013), and the knock-on effects of such a crisis are pervasive. The CEO of an organisation oversees all aspects of the business, playing a unique and essential leadership role in the workplace and yet the topic of CEO wellbeing has received little attention in the research literature.
Adopting an Applied Positive Psychology (APP) lens to this interpretative phenomenological analysis study (IPA), the data offers insights into how CEOs experience and recover from a crisis of wellbeing. In line with the APP approach, pragmatic elements were added in order to explore how CEOs may better manage and sustain their wellbeing now.
In-depth interviews with three male CEOs who had experienced a crisis of wellbeing were conducted. Participants were all working in the professional services industry in London at the time of crisis.
Three themes emerged: energy management, increased responsibility and relationships. This highlights the need for updated models of resilience and leadership to address these key areas. Data analysis also identified the potential for post-traumatic growth following a crisis of wellbeing. These results, and suggestions for future research, will be shared in an interactive format.
This paper challenges stigma and offers the first insight into PTG experienced by CEOs who have experienced a crisis of wellbeing. Furthermore, it provides a unique perspective on the importance of self-acceptance, self-awareness and energy management in resilience and leadership. This lays the foundation for a sustainable approach to leadership in which CEOs are empowered to sustain their wellbeing and support those around them to do the same. As we face a future which is unprecedented, CEOs are arguably under more pressure than ever. The knowledge garnered from this study is essential to enable CEOs and leaders to optimise the opportunities that lie ahead.