Stop Putting CEOs on Pedestals
By: Rajavanya Subramaniyan
Tags: Rant, Quitting Your Job, Consulting, Freelancing, Mindset Shift

Growing up, I remember having this belief about successful people — like they were perfect. Their emotional states, behaviours, responses, ethics, self-discipline, self-confidence, values etc.

Something that separated ‘them’ from ‘us’. Once I would develop all of that in me, I’d be successful as well.

Because that belief gave me comfort. Comfort to say to myself — ‘that is why those people are famous/successful/rich and we are not’. Comfort in telling myself I understand the world.

We pick up beliefs like this all the time while growing up. Otherwise our mind would be anxious all the time… I think.

That is why when we might walk into unknown territory, or when we walk through a country with unknown culture, we have anxiety. Until our mind can form a certain model of the new environment, culture, people and solidify them as beliefs so we can operate with ease as time goes on.

But then these beliefs can also have side-effects. One such is the belief about who a CEO is, or who any successful person is.

I remember one of the running jokes in my office a decade ago was how our CEO would reject an idea presented by someone during a meeting.

And then, a week later he would call one of us in his room to talk about an amazing idea he had. Did you already guess it? Yes, he would talk about the very idea he had rejected as if it just popped up in his head.

At that time, it was good fodder for our collective egos. We would laugh about how ignorant / stupid or pretentious (I don’t even remember exactly which one) he was. Or how the world was unfair that we… a group of intelligent people worked for someone dumb and crazy like him. Or perhaps he’s just lucky. Either way we kept reinforcing ourselves that we were are stuck in an unfair place due to circumstances.

Fast forward a few years — I tried freelancing first time unsuccessfully. But did a bunch of stuff to escape my country and experience working a new country/culture with international talent. Then eventually try freelancing again, but successful this time to never set foot into a traditional job again. Eventually I gain confidence enough call myself a consultant (and to learn the difference between a consultant and a freelancer)

I work with small business owners, tech founders or CEOs closely. And, to my shock after years I started seeing the same thing happening. But only this time, I could state it to them, or even refer to old emails or calls. Often times, they tell me they absolutely don’t remember disagreeing with me or rejecting that idea.

Now, I actually believe them. I’ve learnt to not take it personally (although I did in the beginning)

Because there is a world of difference between what a CEO perceives and focuses on, and what a good employee perceives and focuses on. Being a CEO is more about decisions and action. Not all decisions will turn out to be successful. As long as the majority decisions are successful, it is okay.

No one in the world makes right decisions all the time except the ones who never take risk. Being a CEO and risk come stuck together. It is precisely why they get what they get.

And in most cases, I’m happy because my goal is not to take credit (rather putting myself in a slightly coach-like position) is to see them transform and explore new realms on their own terms.

Part of being a consultant, is to completely empathise with a business owner, work closely with them, understand the business objectives, goals. Only later propose, strategise, execute any technical, design or marketing solutions.

As I moved further away from employee-land towards entrepreneur-land, I saw all the beliefs I used to have… in other people. I could at some point ‘see the matrix’.

It was a moment of “WOAH!” in my head. Or in reality many such moments big and small combined together.

I also found myself losing a lot ‘friends from work’ as I changed my beliefs through new experiences. Once I stopped agreeing with their world-view and tried challenging it, I saw that they withdraw themselves.

And I think the root of it all is this — everyone who is an employee believes in a list of things they lack to become a successful entrepreneur / consultant / freelancer. Because of this, they also expect the CEO to have those qualities.

I’m not here to tell you there isn’t a list. But it is definitely not what you might think it is — at least in the beginning. Most of the time it is simple, good old things like enjoying the journey rather than the outcome, grit, learning to face failure and embrace them, a love for what they do beyond just money.

For them money is like fuel for a car. They want it, but the satisfaction comes from using it to travel places never seen before.

And of course, most CEO know this inherently about what part of their personality to show the employees and what not to show them. I don’t even think they think about this consciously. It is just a matter of — ‘what needs to be done to get the job done’.

If you find yourself seeking comfort among peers who complain about the same things you do, good for you… as long as it works for you. But remember to really change your life (if you want to), you need to step out and the most important stuff that is stopping you is always in your control.

You just need to slow-down, see clearly and catch the steering wheel that you never knew was there.