I had lunch with a friend recently who had just started a new executive role. She’s an experienced leader and was doing what you’d expect: getting across the business, understanding the risks and building relationships.
When she identified a significant business risk, she called her CEO to talk it through. His response was blunt:
“Is it urgent? Because if it’s not, don’t call me. WhatsApp me. That’s the only way I like to communicate.”
Having a preferred way to communicate is reasonable. But in this organisation, his response reflected a broader pattern. He has more than 10 people reporting to him, and his behaviour is well known. People are scared of him and reluctant to challenge him, yet he manages his relationship with the Board very well.
That leaves the organisation with a problem the Board may struggle to see.
What happens when nobody challenges the CEO?
We talk a lot about high-performing executive teams and the importance of trust, accountability and healthy disagreement. Leaders are expected to speak up, test assumptions and challenge each other’s thinking. Those expectations lose their value when everyone understands there’s an exception for the CEO.
Psychological safety in executive teams depends on people being able to raise concerns and disagree without fearing how they’ll be treated afterwards. When that feels risky, people start working around the CEO’s reactions. They think carefully about what they raise, soften the message, wait for the right moment or decide it’s not worth the trouble.
Over time, the information reaching the CEO becomes less complete and less useful.
The business risk of staying silent
A concern raised early can be investigated and addressed. A concern that people feel unable to raise can grow while the executive team carries on as though everything is under control.
A CEO needs people around them who are prepared to say, “I disagree”, “I think we’ve missed something” or “There’s a risk here we need to talk about”. Their willingness to do that depends heavily on what happens next. Does the CEO listen and explore the concern, or does the person who raised it regret speaking up?
Agreement around the executive table tells you very little if disagreement carries a personal cost. The real test is whether people can question the CEO’s judgement and continue to contribute without being dismissed, excluded or labelled difficult.
How CEOs can encourage people to speak up
If you’re a CEO, ask yourself: When was the last time someone on your executive team openly disagreed with you, and how did you respond?
At your next meeting, invite the team to identify a risk or assumption you may have overlooked. Give them time to answer, ask questions before defending your position, and explain what you’ll do with their feedback.
If nobody offers a different view, consider what your past responses may have taught them about speaking up.