Why The World Needs More CEEEOs
A while ago, I was sitting in a conference room, waiting for a meeting to start. One of the senior leaders walked in, dropped his phone on the table and let out a long sigh. Not a tired sigh, but the kind that says “I’m carrying more than I can hold.” I asked if he was okay. He smiled and said, “Oh, you know… busy, busy.”
I’ve heard that reply so many times. And yet, under the “busy” there’s often something else: fatigue, stress or that feeling of being pulled in too many directions.
That’s when it struck me. We don’t just need more CEOs. We need CEEEOs. Leaders who still get results, but also energise their teams. Who make the tough calls, but also empathise with their people. Leaders who know high performance doesn’t come from squeezing out more work… it comes from showing up well.
The extra E’s? They stand for Empathy and Energy.
Empathy isn’t soft, it’s smart. The old idea that emotions don’t belong at work just doesn’t hold up anymore. People do better when they feel seen, heard and valued. Empathy builds trust. It reduces conflict. It unlocks creativity. It’s what helps leaders understand what their teams really need, not just to hit targets, but to thrive as human beings. A true CEEEO can keep the mission on track while still caring for the people driving it.
Energy is contagious. I’ve been in rooms where a leader walks in and the atmosphere shifts. Sometimes the room lights up, people sit taller, ideas start flowing. Other times, you can almost feel the air get heavier. Your presence spreads. If you’re anxious, drained or distracted, your team picks it up. If you’re centred, clear, and energised, they feel that too. That’s why personal wellbeing isn’t a luxury for leaders. It’s part of the job.
Mark Bertolini, former CEO of Aetna, had a skiing accident that nearly killed him. Chronic pain became his reality. As a last resort, he tried yoga and meditation. It changed him so much that he brought the practices into the company. Over 13,000 employees took part. Stress dropped by almost a third. People slept better. Healthcare costs fell. Productivity went up. The culture shifted. This wasn’t “feel-good fluff” - it was wellbeing, performance and leadership moving in the same direction.
In our work at SĀT Wellness, we teach The Ukābrā Flow - a short, daily blend of yoga, breathwork and meditation. It only takes 15 minutes, but it can shift stress into calm, restore energy and often spark creativity. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve finished my own practice and had a fresh idea drop in, not from pushing, but from being still enough to hear it. That’s the thing: creativity loves space. And when leaders bring that space into their own lives, it ripples out to their teams.
CEOs will always matter. But the ones who will make the biggest difference will be CEEEOs. They’ll know empathy and energy aren’t “soft skills” - they’re leadership essentials. They’ll see that wellbeing isn’t separate from performance - it’s the foundation of it. And they’ll understand that when you show up well, your team will too.
If you lead people, ask yourself:
Am I just managing them… or am I energising them?
Do I only ask about their performance, or also about how they’re feeling?
Am I modelling the presence and purpose I want to see in them?
Because when you lead with empathy and energy, you don’t just build a better business. You help build better people. And that’s the kind of legacy worth leaving.
