The average tenure of a CEO is now lower than five years. That’s a sobering statistic, especially when you consider the immense pressure most CEOs are under not just to run their companies but to guide them through changing markets, economies, and an evolving business landscape.
Many CEOs might be classified as “good,” but an exceptional caliber of traits separates those who make a mark and those who end up being forgotten. It’s not that we must work harder — it’s about thinking differently.
Here at The CEO Project, we have worked for years alongside CEOs, and from our work to date, we’ve found that greatness doesn’t solely come from business strategies or performance results – it comes from a strong mindset. Top CEOs exhibit a specific set of disruptive mindset shifts that allow them to stay ahead of the curve. So, what’s the secret?
In this post, we’ll explore the seven fundamental mindset shifts behind great CEOs and detail a step-by-step guide that will help you wake up to your leadership abilities. Stay with us; by the end, you’ll see why your attitude could be your best leadership weapon.
Subtle but Powerful Difference Between Good and Great CEOs
Great CEOs don’t just work harder or longer; they think differently. It’s not just about what they decide but how they lead, how they see adversity, and how they grow as individuals. In fact, when it comes to leadership, it’s these sorts of subtleties in mindsets that often differentiate between “good” and “great.”
Key Differences Between Good and Great CEOs:
Visionary Thinking vs Operational Management
- Good CEOs: Maintain operational stability and achieve short-term targets.
- Great CEOs: Think long-term, anticipate industry shifts, and make strategic decisions that will shape future success.
Real-World Case Study:
Steve Jobs revolutionized the tech industry with innovative products like the iPhone, which not only changed Apple but also influenced the rest of the tech world.
Strategic Foresight vs Reactive Management
- Good CEOs: Respond to market conditions and implement the existing strategy.
- Great CEOs: Proactively change plans based on the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Real-World Case Study:
Elon Musk’s vision at Tesla and SpaceX allowed both companies to enjoy leading positions in their sectors through pioneering work in the electric car and space exploration industries, even though there were serious risks.
Communication and Inspiration vs Directive Management
- Good CEOs: Communicate clearly and maintain alignment.
- Great CEOs: Lead with an inspiring and huge vision permeating the organization at all levels.
Real-World Case Study:
Satya Nadella reshaped Microsoft with an emphasis on empathy and a growth mindset, lifting employee spirits and attracting new possibilities.
Risk-Taking vs Maintaining the Status Quo
- Good CEOs: Stay out of high-risk situations.
- Great CEOs: Take smart risks to achieve breakthrough innovation.
Real-World Case Study:
Jeff Bezos’s audacious investments in cloud computing and the Kindle turned Amazon into an e-commerce powerhouse.
Principle-Driven Leadership vs Goal-Driven Leadership
- Good CEOs: Work to meet financial objectives.
- Great CEOs: Lead with values that lead to long-term benefits.
Real-World Case Study:
Unilever and Paul Polman switched to sustainability, and long-term value creation became embedded in that corporate culture.
Adapting to Change vs Sticking to What Works
- Good CEOs: Lead change while pursuing familiar strategies.
- Great CEOs: Never stop learning and evolving.
Real-World Case Study:
Indra Nooyi’s direction of Pepsico pushed that company toward healthier products, enabling it to grow even amid shifting consumer habits.
What Makes Great CEOs Different?
The best CEOs can combine visionary thinking, resilience, and empathy to not only manage but also transform their companies. This approach enables them to respond to the future and shape it. This sets them apart from the good CEOs, who are more focused on preserving the present. These wise leaders guide their legacy by looking ahead, being flexible, and leading by their principles.
Why Mindset Matters More Than Ever for Today’s CEOs
One of the greatest influential thinkers, Peter Drucker, once said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” CEOs can no longer afford to react to external influences. They need to create their businesses’ futures through conscientious transitions in mindset.
In an era of nonstop shareholder activism, economic volatility, and disruptive technology, it’s no longer enough to be a good strategist. What they need is a mindset that doesn’t fear change, that adapts quickly, and that steers their organizations through uncertain times. The modern-day CEO confronts issues like decision fatigue, retaining talent, and keeping pace with tech innovation.
In a recent survey of CEOs, these were among the top concerns, and it’s evidence that being able to lead effectively isn’t only about strategic thinking but also about the mindset these individuals bring to the table.
Note: Are you prepared to take your leadership to the next level while making smarter, data-driven decisions in 2025? Be sure to check out our most recent blog, “What Metrics Every CEO Should Track for Smarter Decisions in 2025.”
7 Key Mindset Shifts That Define Great CEOs
As we’ve discussed, the seven core mindset shifts that make a great CEO great (as opposed to just good), it’s clear that the road to greatness is about more than simply making decisions — it’s about making better decisions driven by a mindset focused on growth, innovation, and long-term impact. But how do these changes play out in the real world? And why is it so important that we accept these changes now?
A recent research study from McKinsey & Company reveals that 70% of high-performing CEOs see their role as the catalyst that drives not just the management of what’s already on the table but as a role that is charged with the ability to reimagine their company’s future, adjust to changing market conditions, and motivate innovation to occur.
As a CEO, if you aren’t changing the mindset to think strategically about the future, then you are failing on the job. After all, how we do business is changing as faster than we have ever seen before.
The CEOs of the most successful companies don’t just respond to trends — they drive them. Consider Jeff Bezos, who was willing to make large investments in cloud computing that eventually made Amazon Web Services into a multibillion-dollar division of its parent company. This change in thinking was the seed of Amazon’s ongoing success and dominance in the tech world.
So, what about you? Which of these changes have you already made? More importantly, which shifts are you willing to begin to implement today to dramatically change the way you lead and impact your business? Now is the time to assess and take action.
- From Operator to Architect
- From Reactive to Proactive Time Control
- From Decision-Maker to Decision Architect
- From Goals-Driven to Principle-Driven
- From Perfectionist to Experimenter
- From Control to Trust-Based Leadership
- From Ego to Impact
1. From Operator to Architect
Good CEOs concentrate on the business’s day-to-day running, ensuring things are running smoothly. Great CEOs, though, transcend this role and become architects of their own company’s future. They define the vision and the long-term direction for their company while entrusting others to figure out the day-to-day.
- Key Shift: Shift from controlling processes to creating systems that encourage healthy growth.
- Why It Matters: This change means CEOs aren’t simply responding to crises but constructing a scalable, future-ready business instead.
- How to Implement: First, begin by offloading your daily tasks and concentrate on building a strategic framework that will steer your company for the next 5-10 years.
2. From Reactive to Proactive Time Control
Good CEOs tend to be reactive to every new issue or fire that lands on their desk. The greatest CEOs master their time and proactively schedule themselves for high-leverage work rather than constantly reacting to urgent distractions.
- Key Shift: Shift from perpetually reactive to strategically proactive around time management.
- Why It Matters: Effective time management is invaluable in a busy world. Great CEOs are not just managing their companies — they also manage their energy and focus.
- How to Implement: Allocate regular time blocks for “deep work” each week, concentrating on strategic planning and innovation.
3. From Decision-Maker to Decision Architect
Great CEOs decide case-by-case, frequently using their intuition or gut. Great CEOs build decision-making structures that lead themselves and their teams to make better, faster decisions.
- Key Shift: Develop a decision-making process that reflects company objectives and alleviates the cognitive burden from the leaders.
- Why It Matters: Stronger, more structured decision-making will result in more cohesive strategies and faster execution.
- How to Implement: Create an explicit set of decision-making principles for your team that are aligned with your company’s values.
4. From Goals-Driven to Principle-Driven
Good CEOs are pursuing a set of specific targets, great CEOs are pursuing intransient core principles that dictate each decision and action. These are the principles of sustainable success.
- Key Shift: Shift from thinking only about measurable goals to basing decisions on your company’s ethics and strategy.
- Why It Matters: Principles lead to consistency and trust and help your business succeed through time, regardless of its challenges.
- How to Implement: Review your company’s mission statement and core values and make sure they are reflected in every strategic decision.
5. From Perfectionist to Experimenter
Good CEOs are perfectionists obsessed with getting everything right. Meanwhile, great CEOs encourage experimenting and iterative improvement and consider failure as a sign of progress or an opportunity to learn rather than something to avoid.
- Key Shift: From perfectionism to an experimenting mindset.
- Why It Matters: Rapid iteration and the ability to test and pivot are key to long-term success as the market continues to evolve.
- How to Implement: Build an experimental culture within your company. Motivate your people to take intelligent risks, then support and learn from their successes and failures.
6. From Control to Trust-Based Leadership
Good CEOs often think they can and should control everything their company does. Great CEOs know that trust is a much more potent weapon. They recruit competent leaders and allow them to implement their company’s vision.
- Key Shift: Transition from micromanaging to trust-based delegation.
- Why It Matters: Trust enables innovation and decision-making at all levels of your organization.
- How to Implement: Concentrate on high-quality hires and dedicate time to trust and transparency in the team.
7. From Ego to Impact
Good CEOs are typically motivated by personal fame and ego. However, great CEOs are interested in having a long-term impact on their organizations, industries, and the communities in which they operate.
- Key Shift: Stop chasing recognition and start making a long-term impact.
- Why It Matters: Impact-led leadership motivates teams, develops loyalty, and creates long-term value for all stakeholders.
- How to Implement: Continuously evaluate your leadership decisions, thinking in terms of impact: how will your decisions influence your team, customers, or the broader community?
Self-Assessment: Where Are You Today?
Consider your leadership mindset right now. Measure where you are and where you might need to grow with this list.
| Old Mindset | New Mindset |
| Focus on operations | Focus on strategic architecture |
| React to crises | Proactively manage time and priorities |
| Make decisions in isolation | Create decision frameworks |
| Set goals without clear principles | Lead with principles at the core |
| Strive for perfection | Embrace experimentation |
| Control everything | Delegate and trust your team |
| Seek personal recognition | Focus on long-term impact |
Note: Developing a team of leaders that can grow with your company is key to long-term success. Ready to discover how to build a team that not only supports your vision but takes it to the next level? Check out our new blog post on “How to Build a Leadership Team That Grows with Your Company.” To learn about practical tactics, resources, and ideas to help build a high-performing leadership team that can face any challenge.
How to Begin Making These Shifts
Shifting these mindsets doesn’t come easily. Begin small and aim for one change at a time.
- Reflect weekly: Schedule 30 minutes weekly to reflect on your decisions and thought patterns.
- Surround yourself with peers: Join a peer CEO group like The CEO Project, where high-performing leaders stretch each other to think bigger.
- Get a coach or mentor: Look for someone who will challenge you to question your default thinking and keep you accountable.
- Start one mindset shift at a time: Monitor your consciousness on a daily level and work on making small changes.
Greatness is a Mindset First
Great CEOs aren’t made just by hitting a bar of the status quo. This is about reframing how you think, how you lead, and how you evolve. As we’ve seen, the path from good to great is littered with strategic mindset shifts that reframe your perception of decision-making, time management, leadership, and company growth.
At The CEO Project, we consider these to be the foundation of long-term success. It is not enough to be reactive; we must be proactive, believe in our team members, and lead with principles that promote sustainable change. Acknowledge that your organization must focus not only on goals but also on impact; you can create an organization that will succeed despite everything.
The road to greatness starts with just one mindset change. Think about where you are today and start doing something — be it experimenting more, delegating more effectively, or adopting a principle-led approach to leadership. Tiny, consistent tweaks yield extraordinary results.
Are you willing to take your leadership to a new level? Connect with other like-minded CEOs who are leading for growth and change. Check out our CEO Peer Groups and connect with peers who will challenge and support your leadership.
Remember, greatness is a mindset first that can be developed with intention and effort. Let’s make it for the better.
FAQs
What are the mindsets of CEO excellence?
The CEO is committed to strategic defiance, great vision, enabling teams, and leading by principles, not by goals. These CEOs build scalable systems that value people and purpose over perfection.
Why is it important for leaders to have a growth mindset?
Having a growth mindset helps leaders see challenges as an opportunity, learning from failure, and continually grow and get better. It enables them to adapt in real-time, permitting them to become more stress-resistant and effective.
What do CEOs struggle with most?
Decision fatigue, time management, retaining talent, and dealing with ambiguity are among the issues CEOs often face. High-impact CEOs do this by making deliberate mindset shifts to drive their behaviors and decisions.
What are the six mindsets of a CEO from McKinsey?
McKinsey’s research highlighted six mindsets and actions that successful CEOs maintain: Boldly and establish the company vision, treat the “soft stuff” as if it’s the “hard stuff,” solve the psychology of the team, help the board improve business performance, start with the question “why?”, and do all you can do.
What do CEOs read daily?
CEOs frequently read business-related periodicals such as the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, as well as industry-specific reports to keep up with market trends, economics, and leadership methods.
