The Immovable Executive

It keeps getting tougher at the top. CEO tenures are more tentative and they're shortening. Disruption is multiplying. Investors and boards are applying pressure and increasing scrutiny. And yet, there's a curious demographic dilemma developing in the C-suite: While CEO turnover is going up, in certain situations, older CEOs are remaining in their role longer.

The psychologist in me sees a complex mixture of anxiety management strategies being played out here: You're going to live longer. You want to continue to have impact. Therefore, you need to work longer.

The job has never been harder. Staying at what you know makes sense, rather than starting over somewhere else. It also makes sense that your board will trust the devil they know over the devil they don't. And as CEOs continue to be required to be the voice of all causes social and environmental—from WFH to ESG—best to stay in a sector or industry you know rather than one you don't.