“Always Winning”

the reality of being a CEO

A lot of people who work at large companies grumble about how the CEO is rich and successful, while they toil away day after day, underpaid. It appears to be insensitive when the CEO is showing off their successful life to all of the people they employ but make a lot less money. And while these complaints are understandable, they are also a bit shallow and misinformed. To understand why someone acts in a certain manner, you must first step into their shoes.

A CEO is a public representation of the company’s status. If you were considering working with a company, and their CEO was wearing old, unstylish clothes, driving a beat up car, and had photos on their Instagram of a normal life that anyone else might live, would you be under the impression that this was a successful company, doing well? Probably not. On the flip side, if the CEO is sharp and stylish, drives a fancy new sports car, and has Instagram photos of lavish parties and vacations, you might be more under the impression that this was a pretty successful company. And that could quite honestly be the difference between landing a client and missing out.

It’s part of a CEO’s job to appear to be rich and successful. They may in reality not be, or they may be — it doesn’t really matter. CEOs typically split profits in lieu of a high consistent salary, meaning that if business is not going well, they don’t get paid at all. But no matter what the reality is, a CEO must outwardly demonstrate that they are doing super well, because that in turn means the company is doing well, which in turn means its a good company, which means that people should do business with them. And also means that their employees should continue working there. The appearance of success is part of the job description.

So next time you start to get frustrated when you see your CEO flaunting his wealth, keep in mind that what you are seeing is a front, not necessarily a reflection of reality, and that they are putting up that front every day, whether they have a great day or a shitty one, and whether business is going well or poorly, to get more business so you can get paid a consistent salary. And appreciate that this is an incredibly difficult thing to do, and that you don’t have to do it day in and day out.

Disclaimer: I am not a CEO. Not even close. Probably never will be. Opinions here just come from observations and chats.