Joel owns Texas CEO Magazine, a quarterly publication whose mission is to help CEOs across Texas grow their businesses and master the chief executive role.

The CEO Tightrope

No CEO can find a point of balance and then stand still – that’s not even possible on a tightrope. The expectation is that the business must always move forward.

The American CEO walks a tightrope daily…many times blindfold and without a net. The job of balancing the often-competing interests of a company’s constituents is so challenging that the average lifespan of a newly minted CEO is around five years. Why is it that individuals who have been wildly successful at every other position in their career often fail when they get to the CEO chair?