What They Don’t Tell You at the Top Table

They tell you about the power.

The influence.

The seat at the table.

But they don’t tell you that once you’re there, you’ll sometimes feel lonelier than ever.

That for every strategic decision, there’s a sleepless night.

That while you’re leading the business, you’re also wondering if your child remembered their PE kit.

Or whether your relationship has quietly slipped into autopilot.

No one puts that in the company handbook.

At the top table, the conversation is typically polished, the numbers are clear, the slide decks pristine.

But underneath?

It’s just people.

With egos. With fear.

With brilliance, blind spots and backstories no org chart can capture.

I’ve coached hundreds of CEOs and senior leaders.

I’ve sat at those tables.

Led at them.

Crashed after them.

And what I know to be true is this: The most human parts of leadership, the doubt, the empathy, the clarity you find after a crisis are also the most powerful.

But we praise resilience and punish vulnerability.

We demand results but avoid the conversations that would actually drive them.

We ask for authenticity but only if it fits inside the brand.

Here’s what they don’t tell you at the top table:

• You’ll spend as much time managing energy as you do managing revenue.

• Your inner voice will matter more than the voices in the room.

• And sometimes the bravest move isn’t pushing forward, it’s pausing long enough to ask, “Is this even the right direction?”

Leadership isn’t a persona. It’s personal.

And real leadership?

It starts the moment you stop performing it.

So, if you’re sitting at that table wondering if you’re the only one asking these questions, you’re not.

You’re just one of the rare few brave enough to say them out loud.