Leadership on a tightrope

Part one of the Leadership on a tightrope series

Philippe Petit, the high-wire artist made famous by his walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974, once said of his craft, “You must not fall. When you lose your balance… jump. You must move forward.”

It strikes me that this fairly well sums up the job of being a CEO in our disrupted age. You must maintain balance despite the forces buffeting you on all sides. But you also have to maintain forward momentum and keep your sights on the overall direction towards which you are leading your organization. You must not stand still.

Is it any wonder, then, that about 60% of CEOs in our annual AlixPartners Disruption Index tell us they are worried about losing their jobs. Over half say that they need to significantly change their organization’s business model this year, but most do not know where to start. You begin to see the scope of the challenge.

I have said it before, but it bears repeating: CEOs thought they were getting a throne; however, they found themselves in the hot seat and are afraid that they are in the ejector seat.

Over the next few weeks, I thought I would write a series of short posts to address some of the challenges—including the pace of technological change, pressures from broader group stakeholders, and a new macro operating environment (among others)—of the CEO’s “life on a tightrope.” I invite you to check in as I explore these themes.

Read more of Simon's Leadership on a tightrope series:

• Part One: Leadership on a tightrope
• Part Two: Stop chasing the shiny, new thing