What’s Keeping CEOs Up at Night?

What’s Keeping CEOs Up at Night?

From The So What from BCG by Boston Consulting Group BCG

April 22, 2026 · 22 min · Episode 116

About this episode

The episode explores the sources of stress for CEOs and its impact on decision-making.

BCG CEO Insomnia Index–Understanding CEO Pressure: More than 70% of CEOs are under chronic stress—but the real sources might surprise you. Drawing on BCG’s CEO Insomnia Index, Judith Wallenstein and Christine Barton unpack what’s driving the pressure, why it’s coming from closer than expected, and how it’s starting to impact decision-making at the top. While performance, growth, and cost pressures remain constant, the real weight is coming from much closer to home: boards, leadership teams, and employees. You’ll learn: The surprising stakeholders creating the most pressure How stress narrows creativity, judgment, and strategic thinking Why the CEO role is becoming more isolating What leaders can do to manage energy, time, and expectations more effectively Learn More: Christine Barton: https://on.bcg.com/4twIHs8 Judith Wallenstein: https://on.bcg.com/4vCcMrr The BCG CEO Insomnia Index: https://on.bcg.com/492jygq What Boards Expect of CEO Candidates: https://on.bcg.com/48hfzwd The CEO’s Guide to Bolder Bets and Fewer Regrets: https://youtu.be/bbhZl3WRYdo?si=OQ1g_pgHtNXpPUUk BCG’s Latest Insights for CEOs: https://on.bcg.com/3QQrlaS Who Wants to Be a CEO…

People in this episode

Guests: Judith Wallenstein, Christine Barton

Topics covered

  • CEO stress
  • decision-making
  • leadership pressure
  • performance
  • creativity
  • strategic thinking

Keywords

  • CEO
  • stress
  • decision-making
  • leadership
  • performance
  • creativity
  • BCG

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BCG

Books & works: BCG CEO Insomnia Index

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