What’s Keeping CEOs Up at Night?

BCG CEO Insomnia Index–Understanding CEO Pressure: More than 70% of CEOs are under chronic stress—but the real sources might surprise you.

Drawing on BCG’s CEO Insomnia Index, Judith Wallenstein and Christine Barton unpack what’s driving the pressure, why it’s coming from closer than expected, and how it’s starting to impact decision-making at the top. While performance, growth, and cost pressures remain constant, the real weight is coming from much closer to home: boards, leadership teams, and employees.

You’ll learn:

The surprising stakeholders creating the most pressure

How stress narrows creativity, judgment, and strategic thinking

Why the CEO role is becoming more isolating

What leaders can do to manage energy, time, and expectations more effectively

Learn More:

Christine Barton: https://on.bcg.com/4twIHs8

Judith Wallenstein: https://on.bcg.com/4vCcMrr

The BCG CEO Insomnia Index: https://on.bcg.com/492jygq

What Boards Expect of CEO Candidates: https://on.bcg.com/48hfzwd

The CEO’s Guide to Bolder Bets and Fewer Regrets: https://youtu.be/bbhZl3WRYdo?si=OQ1g_pgHtNXpPUUk

BCG’s Latest Insights for CEOs: https://on.bcg.com/3QQrlaS

Who Wants to Be a CEO: https://lnk.to/so-what-Barton-CEOs09

Chapters

(0:00) Why CEO Stress Is Spiking

(0:56) What Stress Does to Performance

(1:41) What Factors Are Driving Stress

(4:05) Why Companies Are Impacted Differently

(4:44) Develop Your C-Suite for Higher Performance

(5:49) Why Being CEO Feels Lonely

(9:31) The Problem with Feedback at the Top

(12:22) Rising Expectations from Employees

(14:27) The CFO Dynamic Explained

(17:37) How CEOs Navigate the Board

(18:47) How Should CEOs Spend Their Time

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

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