Let me first share with you what happened to a CEO client a while ago:
It was 9:02 AM when the CEO of a global technology firm got the alert: a major supplier in Asia had just halted production due to new trade sanctions. Within the hour, The AI they had been using to track efficiency flagged a risk: if things didn’t change, some teams might have to be let go. He could see the impact stretching across three continents, and he knew tough calls were coming. By lunchtime, a deepfake email arrived, seemingly from the CFO, asking for an urgent fund transfer. Meanwhile, the board wanted a strategy update, and the top team, already stretched thin, looked to him for answers. Meanwhile, employees were anxious, and the media was sniffing for stories.
When we met a few days later, he said, “It was just a storming morning!” He went on: it wasn’t just another busy day. It was a perfect storm of technology, geopolitics, talent, and ethics—and the responsibility rested entirely on him.
Yes, the storm.
And this is leadership in 2025.
The Hard Truth: Everything Happens at Once
A decade ago, these pressures might have arrived in sequence. Today, they collide.
CEOs must navigate simultaneous crises across multiple domains:
- AI as both friend and threat. It promises transformative efficiency, but it also raises workforce anxiety, ethical dilemmas, and forces decisions faster than ever.
- Cybersecurity as a strategic issue. Deepfakes, scams, and AI-driven fraud are no longer IT problems- they threaten brand, finances, and trust.
- Talent fragility. Retention, burnout, and skills gaps are existential threats. Missteps in managing people can actually derail strategy faster than any market shock.(By the way, The Gallup State of the Global Workplace reports that disengaged or burnt-out employees cost trillions annually in lost productivity.)
- Regulation and ESG as constraints. Compliance is no longer a back-office activity; it shapes what you can, and cannot do tomorrow.
Alone at the Top
CEOs are expected to anticipate challenges, make decisions that often seem impossible, and carry the weight of the entire organization. Many routinely work over 60 hours a week. Most face chronic stress, and some struggle with isolation. The greatest challenge of all? Remaining clear-headed while steering the entire organization forward.
In this moment, our CEO leaned back again, realizing that the instinct to react immediately, to answer every ping, solve every problem – would only amplify the chaos.
Dear CEOs, you needed mind clarity so you can focus, and generate important foresight.
What Actually Works
The CEOs who thrive don’t react; they orchestrate. The following is the patterns that emerge among those who navigate storms successfully:
- Lead with clarity, not busyness: they ruthlessly prioritize what truly matters – again, this only can happen when you have mind clarity.
- Build human-centered organizations. Engagement, well-being, and culture are leverage points, not soft metrics. (You can push your people for performance for 2 quarters, or a year; but you can’t keep squeezing them for 5 years -they’ll leave before that comes.)
- Integrate technology responsibly. AI and automation promise transformative efficiency, but over-reliance can erode institutional knowledge, stifle innovation, and lower employee morale. When AI errors go undetected, they risk misalignment with customer expectations. For example, a retail CEO I coached avoided this trap by using AI to analyze customer data while empowering human teams to make final strategic calls, boosting both efficiency and trust. The smartest organizations leverage AI to augment human capabilities, not replace them, ensuring ethical guardrails and cultural alignment guide every deployment.
- Invest in yourself. Invest in yourself. Executive coaching, peer networks, and reflection are no longer luxuries – they’re strategic essentials. Think of them as supplements that keep you clear, grounded, and evolving.
These leaders anticipate, decide under uncertainty, and make hard calls, all while keeping their teams aligned, energized, and focused.
Turning Insight into Action
So how do you act when everything hits at once? Apparently, the CEOs who thrive don’t just react; they act with intention, clarity, and foresight.
They prioritize clarity over activity. In the heat of a storm, the instinct is to do everything at once; but the better approach is to ruthlessly focus on the few initiatives that will actually move the needle.
Ask yourself: If this storm lasted 12 months, what 3 things must I get right? By committing to these priorities, you create space to make better decisions and prevent your organization from fragmenting under constant pressure.
Let me share what thriving CEOs that I work with do:
- Integrate reflection into rhythm. They find quiet moments to reflect regularly. Even 30 minutes a day to step back can prevent small misjudgments from escalating into crises. To them, reflection can take many forms: a walk alone, a conversation with a trusted peer or coach, or journaling about key decisions (One of them says “I’d never give my iPad to anyone as all my journals are there.”) CEOs who neglect this often find themselves reacting to events instead of shaping them.
- Pair technology with judgment. Pair technology with judgment. AI and automation promise efficiency, but they cannot replace discernment. Leaders who integrate technology successfully use ethical guardrails and cultural alignment, ensuring every deployment strengthens the organization rather than creating risks or employee mistrust. Some claim AI could even replace CEOs, but my view is NO, AI can never replace the job a CEO needs to do! I’ll publish another piece specifically about this later.
- Turn vulnerability into strength. Showing that you don’t have all the answers is not weakness; it is strategic. Encourage debate, invite alternative perspectives, and share challenges openly with your team. When leaders model resilience and curiosity, they create a culture where teams mirror focus, energy, and adaptability.A leader I coach says, “When I tell my team I don’t know, they step up to own things and become resourceful. I have seen them give their best now compared to before.”
- Look ahead, don’t just scramble. Waiting for a crisis to hit is like driving blind in a storm- it’s a mess and it costs you big time. Smart CEOs play out what-ifs in their heads: supply chain hiccups, new regulations, or a cyberattack that could tank trust. I once coached a CEO who stress-tested her strategy for a trade war. When it hit, she pivoted in days, not months. Planning ahead gives you speed, confidence, and a team that trusts you to steer straight.
Sailing the Storm
Strategy, culture, AI, and ESG aren’t separate problems, they’re interconnected threads in the art of managing chaos ethically and effectively. The storm isn’t temporary. Either you learn to sail it, or it steers you. Thriving CEOs decide what matters, act with foresight, and invest in themselves while guiding their teams. Start today: schedule 30 minutes to reflect on your top priorities, connect with a coach, or stress-test your strategy. The storm is here, lead through it.
–By Catherine Li-Yunxia
Top Global CEO Coach & C-Suite Coach 2023 | Keynote Speaker on Human Leadership | Author of Integral CEO