<\/p>\n
Now picture this for a moment- A CEO<\/em><\/span> receives news of his company’s stock jumping 20% after years of strategic repositioning. Instead of popping champagne, he immediately starts making calls about potential market volatility. Meanwhile, his COO is already planning a vacation to celebrate. That’s when it hits you\u2014CEOs don’t just work in a different league; they exist in an entirely different universe where success is never quite savored and failure is marinated in like an overnight curry<\/em><\/span>. The difference? Everyone expects them to not just eat it, but ask for seconds.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Imagine this( sorry, now it has become a habit with me!!): You\u2019re Tim Cook<\/a><\/span>,<\/em><\/span> steering Apple<\/em> <\/span>to a $3 trillion valuation<\/em><\/span>. You\u2019re a global icon, a tech messiah. But somewhere in Cupertino<\/em><\/span>, Karen from accounting is pissed because the new iPhone<\/em> <\/span>charger doesn\u2019t fit her old dock. \u201cWhat kind of leader can\u2019t even get a charger right?<\/em><\/span>\u201d she mutters. Welcome to the life of a CEO<\/span><\/em><\/a>\u2014where you\u2019re either the savior of the free world or the scapegoat for every minor inconvenience<\/em><\/span>. Is the CEO\u2019s job thankless? Probably, yes. But maybe it\u2019s because we\u2019ve got the whole damn title wrong. Let\u2019s tear this apart and rebuild it\u2014with more edge, more sass, and a lot more truth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The spectacular isolation of command<\/em><\/span>-When former Tata Group Chairman<\/em><\/span>, the late Ratan Tata<\/em><\/span> made difficult decisions during the 2008 acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover<\/span><\/em>\u2014a move initially criticized as reckless\u2014he later revealed he had faced “some of the loneliest moments” of his career. Despite spearheading what became one of India’s most successful global expansions, Tata confessed that the height of leadership often meant “having conviction when everyone around you thinks you’ve lost your mind<\/em><\/span>.”That’s the hidden tax<\/em><\/span> of the CEO role\u2014you’re making decisions in what amounts to psychological solitary confinement<\/em><\/span>. While everyone else can vent their frustrations, debate the options, and ultimately point fingers if things go south, the CEO<\/em><\/span><\/a> sits alone on decision island.The board wants results, the shareholders want dividends, the employees want security, and the customers want innovation at bargain prices. And you? You just want someone to talk to who isn’t trying to sell you something, including their opinion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Thank-You Notes That Never Arrive<\/em><\/span>-When Microsoft India<\/em><\/span>‘s former CEO Bhaskar Pramanik<\/span><\/em> launched massive initiatives to increase technology access in rural areas, the financial returns weren’t immediately evident. The pressure from global headquarters was intense, but he persisted. Years later, these programs have transformed opportunity landscapes for millions\u2014but as Pramanik noted in a rare candid interview, “The congratulations for long-term vision rarely match the criticism for short-term losses.” The CEO paradox<\/em><\/span> in its purest form: Get blamed immediately for quarterly misses; get credit years later for visionary leadership\u2014maybe\u2014if someone remembers to attribute it to you<\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Global Comedy of CEO Expectations<\/span><\/em>– Mind you, this is not an Indian phenomenon alone- look at these global stories. In Japan, Suntory CEO Takeshi Niinami<\/em><\/span> publicly apologized and took a 50% pay cut when his company missed targets by 3%\u2014targets that were already industry-leading. In America, he’d have received a “performance bonus” for coming close.In Denmark<\/em><\/span>, Carlsberg’s former CEO Cees ‘t Hart<\/em><\/span> famously held “failure celebrations<\/em><\/span>” where teams presented their biggest mistakes and what they learned. When asked if he showcased his own failures, he responded, “As CEO<\/em><\/span><\/a>, I don’t need a special event\u2014my failures are celebrated by everyone, everyday, without my planning an event.”In Nigeria, Dangote Group’s Aliko Dangote<\/em> <\/span>built Africa’s largest industrial conglomerate while facing infrastructure challenges that would make most Western CEOs quit on day one. When asked about recognition for overcoming these obstacles, he laughed: “When something goes wrong, it’s ‘Dangote’s mistake.’ When something succeeds, it’s ‘Nigeria’s achievement.'”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Recognition Asymmetry<\/span><\/em>-When Indra Nooyi<\/em> <\/span><\/a>was PepsiCo’s CEO<\/em><\/span>, she once mentioned that in twelve years of leading one of the world’s largest companies, she could “count on one hand” the number of letters she received from shareholders thanking her for her performance\u2014including years when returns were exceptional. Meanwhile, complaint letters arrived by the truckload. Success as a CEO<\/span><\/em><\/a> isn’t celebrated\u2014it’s expected. Failure isn’t just criticized\u2014it becomes your personal brand<\/em><\/span>. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz<\/em><\/span> put it perfectly: “As CEO<\/em><\/span><\/a>, you get 100% of the blame and about 30% of the credit when things go right.”And he was being optimistic with that 30%.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get one thing straight: the CEO\u2019s job isn\u2019t about sitting in a corner office, sipping espresso, and signing checks. It\u2019s about being the glue that holds the company together, the spark that ignites innovation, and the fire extinguisher when shit hits the fan.<\/span> It\u2019s about making the tough calls, owning the failures, and giving away the credit. It\u2019s about being the North Star when the seas get rough and the punching bag when the seas get rougher<\/span><\/em>. \u00a0So, is the CEO\u2019s job thankless? Only if we keep pretending it\u2019s just about titles and corner offices.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Myth of the Glamorous CEO Life<\/em><\/span>–<\/strong>Sure, CEOs get paid eye-watering salaries\u2014like Ravi Kumar Singisetti<\/em> <\/span>of Cognizant<\/em><\/span> with his Rs 186 crore paycheck<\/em><\/span>\u2014but let\u2019s not forget what comes with it: sleepless nights, geopolitical crises, ESG compliance nightmares, and employees who think \u201copen-door policy\u201d means barging in during your lunch break to complain about the coffee machine.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Global Stage: From Bezos to Buffet-<\/em>Jeff Bezos<\/em><\/span> may have blasted off into space, but back on Earth, he\u2019s dodging criticism about worker conditions and tax evasion. Elon Musk<\/em><\/span>? He\u2019s either revolutionizing industries or setting Twitter on fire\u2014sometimes literally. Even Warren Buffet<\/em><\/span>, the Oracle of Omaha<\/em><\/span> himself, has had to defend his investment decisions against armchair critics who\u2019ve never read a balance sheet. CEOs are like rock stars without the groupies\u2014everyone knows their name, but they\u2019re just as likely to get booed as applauded.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Should We Re-Brand The CEO? <\/span><\/em>Perhaps the title itself is part of the problem. Chief Executive Officer<\/em><\/span>\u00a0sounds simultaneously bureaucratic and imperial\u2014a weird mashup suggesting both paper-pushing and autocratic power. It’s little wonder people develop confused expectations.What if we reimagined the title to better reflect the role? Vision Shepherd<\/em><\/span> -Acknowledges that the primary job isn’t execution (that’s what the rest of the C-suite is for) but guiding the long-term direction and protecting it from short-term pressures. Chief Paradox Navigator-<\/em><\/span>\u00a0Recognizes that the essence of the role is managing inherent tensions\u2014speed vs. quality, innovation vs. reliability, growth vs. profitability\u2014with no “correct” answer.Organizational Weather System<\/em><\/span> -Reflects the reality that the CEO’s mood, focus, and priorities create the climate in which everyone operates, for better or worse. Decision Heat Shield<\/em>-Admits that a key function is absorbing the criticism for necessary but unpopular choices while reflecting credit to the team.Chief Future Officer<\/em><\/span> -Centers the most critical and unique aspect of the role\u2014keeping the organization focused on what’s coming while everyone else handles what’s happening now.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If It’s Thankless, It’s Worth It<\/em><\/span>– The CEO<\/em><\/span><\/a> life isn\u2019t for the faint-hearted. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Some wise soul once said ” The view from the top is breathtaking..simply because there is no oxygen there ” . Now picture this for a moment- A CEO receives news of his company’s stock jumping 20% after years of strategic repositioning. Instead of popping champagne, he immediately starts making calls about potential … Continue reading “The Magnificent Misery of Being Top Dog:Is the CEO’s Job Really Thankless?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1998"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2004,"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998\/revisions\/2004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ISD-CEO-Poster-3.jpg\")
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\nIt\u2019s for the\u00a0mad ones, the risk-takers,<\/em> <\/span>the ones who wake up at 3 AM with crazy ideas.Yes, it\u2019s\u00a0lonely, brutal, and often unfair<\/em><\/span>. <\/strong>But the ones who push through?\u00a0They change the world<\/em><\/span>. <\/strong>So if you\u2019re leading (or planning to),\u00a0embrace the madness<\/em><\/span>. <\/strong>Because the best leaders don\u2019t chase applause.\u00a0They chase impact.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n