Forever Alone: 50 Percent of CEOs Report Feeling Lonely At Work
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50 percent of CEOs in the US are lonely and secluded at their work place, reported a survey done by management consulting firm RHR International on Tuesday, with a further 61 percent of this group adding that the isolation had been affecting their overall job performance.
50 percent of CEOs in the US are lonely and secluded at their work place, reported a survey done by management consulting firm RHR International on Tuesday, with a further 61 percent of this group adding that the isolation had been affecting their overall job performance.
According to RHR International, “the intensity of the CEO’s job, coupled with the scarcity of peers to confide in, created potentially dangerous feelings of isolation among chief executives.” First-time CEOs in particular, were extremely susceptible to such thoughts, with 70 percent of those surveyed, and who had reported feeling lonely, admitting that the seclusion had been negatively affecting their ability to do their jobs.
[quote]“Stress, pressure, and loneliness all combine to create job challenges unlike any other they have previously had,” said RHR International’s own CEO Thomas Saporito, in an interview with the Globe and Mail.[/quote]The combining factors would then tend to have a strong impact on a CEO’s job performance, “because you know the buck stops with you and it can be daunting to consider whether you are making the wisest decision based on the limited information you have at hand.”
The survey also discovered that there often was a “disconnect” between a CEO’s expectation and readiness for his/her role, and the eventual reality of the job.
[quote]88 percent of the CEOs survey originally claimed that they had felt prepared for the job, though 54 percent eventually realised that the job was different from they originally expected. Looking at first-time CEOs only, 91 percent had expressed confidence in their ability to fulfil the CEO, though 72 percent ultimately reported a different experience from their original expectation.[/quote]Related: Infographic: How Much Does a Fortune 50 CEO Earn Compared To An Average Worker?
Related: Infographic: Surprise, Surprise: It’s Good To Be A Financial CEO In The Current Economy
Related: Bankers in London Need Mental Help
The CEO Snapshot Survey was conducted between October and November last year, with 83 respondents in the survey coming from companies that had annual revenues of $50 million to $2 billion. The survey attempts to discover the psychological nuances of CEOs, including their perceptions on board relationships, succession issues, leadership effectiveness, as well as the possible resources needed to improve their performance.
