Why Following Can Be Harder For CEOs Than Leading

People look to you to provide clarity and decisiveness in uncertainty. Boards expect conviction. Your executive team expects direction. At the same time, the pace and scope of change—AI acceleration, geopolitical instability, shifting talent markets, regulatory pressure—make it impossible for any one person to hold all the expertise across every domain.

That leaves you with a choice. Do you continue trying to know everything, speak first, and anchor decisions around your view? Or do you deliberately create the conditions where the deepest expertise in the room can lead—while you remain fully accountable for the outcome?

The second option is not about being less decisive. It’s about recognizing that your power and authority can either unlock perspectives—or shut them down.

The risk of ‘over-leading’

Many CEOs overuse their authority without realizing it. You might shape conclusions too early. You might dominate a critical decision. Or unintentionally narrow the range of thinking in the room.

One of the biggest risks you take when you ‘over-lead’ as a CEO is mistaking agreements for true alignment. What looks like consensus may actually be people adjusting their thinking to match yours.

Over time, this can create blind spots. Senior leaders defer more quickly. Innovation slows. The organization becomes overly dependent on your judgment—and your judgment alone.

To succeed over the long term, especially in today’s complicated business environment, you need to know how to follow others when the situation calls for it. Again, this is less about stepping away from responsibility, and more about shifting authority toward the deepest expertise in the room.

Why following can feel uncomfortable

You probably agree with the logic of following other leaders. But putting it into practice is harder than it sounds. Stepping back can feel risky—and often deeply uncomfortable. You likely built your career on being the person with answers. Deferring—even occasionally—can feel like you’re giving something up.

Then there’s accountability. When outcomes ultimately rest with you, the instinct to control inputs is understandable. The higher the risk, the tighter your grip can become.

A more complete definition of CEO leadership

This isn’t about choosing between leading or following. It is about knowing when each is required. A question worth reflecting on regularly: Where might my authority be unintentionally limiting better thinking? Some of the most effective CEOs I work with are not the most dominant voices in the room. They are often the most attentive. They listen carefully. They ask thoughtful questions. And when the situation calls for it, they follow their peers.

Authors

Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the Chief Science Officer at Russell Reynolds Associates and a globally recognized authority in leadership assessment and development.