Ignoring the Personal Stress of a Key Executive Could Cost You Millions

Deeply Personal Stress That Must Remain Hidden

When a person has no reserves left because of physical and emotional energies given to the job, and a significant negative event happens in their personal life, things can go downhill pretty fast if there is no outlet for that pressure.

Based on the research I’ve studied, personal problems have a much greater impact on your financial results than anyone thinks.

Weight of the World on One’s Shoulders

Senior executives I interviewed confided that personal life stressors had a noticeable impact on their work life and that of their colleagues.

Stressors may include:

• Extramarital affairs

• Marriage breakdown and divorce

• A spouse diagnosed with terminal cancer

• A sick child

• A betrayal

• A broken friendship or other poignant loss

• A kid dabbling in drugs or otherwise going off the rails

• Family finances

• Grown children and grandchildren still dependent

• Dealing with aging parents

• Guilt over spending too much time away from home and neglecting the family

• Prolonged grief resulting from a personal tragedy (“Where’s the space and time to grieve?”)

I used to resent the compensation of senior executives.
And then I was one. And then I wasn’t.
And I no longer feel they are over- compensated. Former CFO of a Fortune 100 firm I interviewed