The loneliest job? How top CEOs manage dilemmas and vulnerability

McKinsey Center for CEO Excellence (Aug 7, 2024) "The loneliest job? How top CEOs manage dilemmas and vulnerability" consolidates insights from around 100 senior leaders alongside more than 20 years of data on 7,800 CEOs from 3,500 public companies across 70 countries and 24 industries. The piece organises the CEO job around five recurring dilemmas where leaders must balance apparently incompatible outcomes — preserving the core vs innovating for the future, short-term delivery vs long-term organisational health, and preserving personal identity while immersed in the role. Even the most successful CEOs experience moments of doubt. Useful for SEA mid-market chairs preparing CEO peer-mentoring or coaching arrangements.