The CEOs of Apple, Airbnb, and PepsiCo agree on one thing: life as a business leader is incredibly lonely

Leaders at some of the world’s largest companies — from Airbnb and UPS to PepsiCo and Apple — are finally starting to talk about the psychological toll that comes with the job. As it turns out, many industry leaders suffer from intense loneliness; At least 40% of executives are considering leaving their jobs, mainly because they lack energy and feel alone in dealing with daily challenges, according to a Harvard Medical School professor. The number may be even higher: About 70% of senior leaders “are seriously considering quitting for a job that better supports their well-being,” according to a 2022 Deloitte study.

To ward off feelings of isolation, founders and senior executives are stepping outside the office to focus on improving their well-being. Toms founder Blake Mycoskie struggled with depression and loneliness after scaling his small shoe business into a billion-dollar giant. Feeling disconnected from his life’s purpose and that his “raison d’être now felt like a job,” he went on a three-day men’s retreat to work on his mental health. Seth Berkowitz, founder and CEO of $350 million candy giant Insomnia Cookies, warns bright-eyed entrepreneurs that the party “isn’t really for everyone.”

“It can be lonely; it’s a lonely life. It really is,” Berkowitz said recently. luck.

Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb

Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky is one of the most vocal leaders in the business world to wave the red flag about loneliness. Chesky described his childhood as a loner, oscillating between his love of creative design and sports, and never fitting in. But his mental health took a turn for the worse once he took the throne as CEO of Airbnb. His two other co-founders, whom he called his “family” and spent every waking hour working, working out and hanging out together, were suddenly out of sight from the top brass.

“When I became a CEO, you started leading at the front, at the top of the mountain, but then the further you got to the top, the fewer people there were with you,” Chesky told Jay Shetty during an episode of the podcast. On purpose Podcast last year. “No one ever told me how lonely it was, and I wasn’t prepared for it.”

Chesky recommends that emerging leaders actually share their power, so that no one bears the mental burden of entrepreneurship alone.

“I think at the end of the day, today, we are probably living in one of the loneliest times in human history,” Chesky said. “If people were as lonely last year as they are today, they would probably die, because you can’t survive without your tribe.”

Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo

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Leaders in luck $500 giant PepsiCo faces ongoing pressure from consumers, investors, board members and their employees. But it’s also difficult to vent to peers who may not relate to — or even understand — the trials and tribulations of running a $209 billion company. Indra Nooyi, the company’s former CEO, said she often felt isolated with no one to trust.

“You can’t talk to your spouse all the time. You can’t talk to your friends because those are confidential company matters. You can’t talk to the board of directors because they’re your bosses. You can’t talk to the people who work for you because they work for you,” Nooyi said. Kellogg Insightthe research journal of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, Earlier this year. “So it puts you in a somewhat lonely position.”

Rather than coming clean to a trusted friend or airing her frustrations anonymously on Reddit, Nooyi looked inward. She was the only person she could trust, even if it meant accepting isolation.

“I was talking to myself. I would go look at myself in the mirror. I would talk to myself. I would get angry at myself. I would shed some tears, then I would put on some lipstick and walk out,” Nooyi said. “That was my go-to because all people need an outlet. You have to be very careful about who your outlet is because you never want them to use it against you at any time.”

Carol Toomey, CEO of UPS

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Before Carol Toomey took over as CEO of UPS, she was warned that the top job went hand-in-hand with loneliness. The word warning didn’t bother her, at least not at first. But things changed when she actually took over the helm of the $75 billion shipping company.

“I would say, ‘How lonely can it really be?’ He can’t be that lonely?” What I’ve learned since then is that he is Unusually “Lonely,” Tommy said. luck last year.

“When you’re on an executive team, you come together… Now, my executive team will wait until I leave the meeting so they can debrief together. That’s the reality and you have to get used to it. But it’s very lonely.”

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple

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Apple CEO Tim Cook is not immune to the loneliness that often comes with the corner office. More than 14 years into his tenure, he acknowledged his mistakes, which he described as “blind spots” that had the potential to impact thousands of workers across the company if left unchecked. Cook said it’s important for leaders to get out of their heads and surround themselves with smart people who bring out the best in them.

“It’s kind of a lonely job,” Cook said. The Washington Post In 2016. “The old saying that it’s lonely — the CEO’s job is lonely — is accurate in many ways. I’m not looking for any sympathy. ”

Seth Berkowitz, founder and CEO of Insomnia Cookies

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Entrepreneurship can be a very fulfilling and rewarding journey: a chance to trade a nine-to-five job for a multi-million dollar fortune, if all the right conditions are met. And while Insomnia Cookies’ Seth Berkowitz loves being a CEO and all the responsibilities that come with it, he cautions young hopefuls about the heaviness of the profession. Like Cook, he advises aspiring founders to confront loneliness through real, meaningful relationships.

“It can be lonely; it’s a lonely life. It really is. [During] “In difficult times, it’s very isolating — finding camaraderie, mentorship, and some sense of community is really important,” Berkowitz said recently. luck. “Because I go so deep, sometimes it’s hard to find others and let them in.”