Hey, CEOs… You good?

There’s been a rash of exec-in-hot-water stories lately, topped by the latest fall from grace — NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell was ousted for “inappropriate conduct” with a subordinate.

When an elite crowd holds both the welfare of our economy and millions of employees in their hands every day, it’s necessary to ask: Are they able to hold themselves together?

The headlines are making us less sure

• Clearlink’s James Clarke is doing damage control after questioning his team’s effort — singling out mothers, in particular — and praising an employee who sold his dog to return to the office.
• MillerKnoll’s Andi Owen apologized for telling her staff to “leave pity city” when they sought clarification about company bonuses — a controversy exacerbated by Owen’s ~$4m in 2022 bonuses.
• Axel Springer SE’s Mathias Döpfner saw comments leak in which he assailed Muslims, said he’s “all for climate change,” and labeled all east Germans “disgusting.”

It doesn’t stop there. C-suite stress has poured out in more bizarre ways:

• Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon is under fire for allegedly having employees manage his side hustle as an EDM DJ.
• Beyond Meat exec Doug Ramsey bit a man’s nose a few months back. He was suspended, left the company, and just pleaded guilty.
• And sure, it’s comparatively harmless, but Dodge’s Tim Kuniskis still has us worried, with his dreams about “weird, evil leprechauns.”

The strain isn’t new; the consequences are

Imagine simply getting out of bed in today’s world and not feeling at least some burnout. Then imagine running a multibillion-dollar company in that world. (Actually, no thanks. We’ll pass.)

A Harvard study puts CEOs at 62.5 on-the-job hours per week, but one must assume the stress never fully punches out. On top, social media adds further scrutiny, with every word and action (or inaction) a possible scandal-in-waiting.

The result for the executive class? A collective welfare that feels as tenuous as ever.