By Sarah Ellis, people and development consultant at Atkinson HR
I’ll never forget a whispered conversation I had with some colleagues near the start of my career: “What does the CEO do all day? Looks like a nice cushy job…”
For some reason, that stuck with me. Maybe it was because I was genuinely curious (and ambitious). What did they do all day? And could I ever do it myself?
Fast forward a number of years, and I can proudly say that I did it, twice! I spent four years as CEO of a small students’ union, followed by nearly five years as CEO of a much larger one. And let me tell you; what a CEO actually “does all day” is nothing like what I first imagined.
Looking back, I can see why, as a staff member all those years ago, it wasn’t always obvious what the CEO actually did. When I became one myself, I often reflected on how much of my work I couldn’t really share with staff or, more accurately, chose not to, because I didn’t want to worry them. Think of those disaster movies where the world teeters on the edge of chaos, only to be saved at the last minute without anyone realising how close they came to disaster. It felt a bit like that sometimes. Ok, yes, I’m being a little dramatic, but you get the point. During parts of my tenure steering through COVID, navigating a cost of living crisis, I was constantly trying to shield the team from the full weight of those challenges.
Balancing transparency with not wanting everyone to be in a constant state of anxiety is, in my experience, a huge part of being a CEO. And that’s also why people say it can feel lonely at the top; you can’t always share everything you’re dealing with, and your Board isn’t there alongside you day-to-day. I hadn’t fully appreciated that going into the role so it’s something I want to share with you as aspiring CEOs, not to put you off, but to arm you with information so when you are dealing with matters you can’t share, it’s not a shock.
Moving from a small charity to a larger one was eye-opening. I still remember, in my first week at the bigger SU, asking my deputy CEO when they needed me to approve payments in the bank. Only for them to look at me curiously and say, “You don’t need to do that, we’ve got a whole department for it.” Cue my slightly panicked thought; Ok…so what do I do?!
That small moment captured a much bigger truth. On paper, the two CEO job descriptions looked almost identical. In reality, they couldn’t have been more different. At the smaller SU, I was highly operational everything from helping to sort hoodie orders to meeting students about the website layout. But alongside the day-to-day, I also had to sign off the audited accounts, assure the Board we were meeting our charitable objects, and ensure compliance with legislation like health & safety and the Equalities Act.
At the larger SU, I operated far more strategically. I was less involved in the day-to-day details and more focused on big-picture leadership. For aspiring CEOs, that’s worth knowing, the role of what you’ll be doing day to day changes dramatically depending on the size and type of organisation. And while I’m sure the CEO of a multinational charity has a very different day-to-day again, the core responsibilities of legal, financial, and strategic remain constant for all CEOs.
You may have noticed I’m writing in the past tense. I’m no longer a CEO. But I’ll always be grateful for the time I spent in the role, because it ultimately led me to discover my passion of supporting people and making workplaces the best they can be. That path took me into the world of HR, completing my CIPD qualification, and now working as a Senior People & Development Consultant, helping charities and voluntary organisations every day.
Making the leap into a new career was a personal decision, and one I don’t regret for a second. But I’ll always encourage others to believe in themselves and consider stepping into the CEO role. Don’t let misconceptions about what a “typical” CEO looks like hold you back. Some of the most inspiring CEOs I’ve had the privilege of working with have been women, neurodiverse people, those from working-class backgrounds, and people covered in tattoos. So if you don’t see yourself in the image of the stereotypical CEO, usually a man in a grey suit (no offence to men in grey suits, but seriously, Google “CEO” images and you’ll see what I mean!) don’t let that stop you.
Being a CEO isn’t cushy, it’s complex. But it’s also a realisation for me that the best leaders aren’t the ones who fit the mould they’re the ones who dare to break it.