The CEO's Parental Obligation: Why Your Team Is Always Watching
As a CEO, you have an almost parental obligation to your employees. I don't mean that in a patronizing way, but in the sense that, whether you realize it or not, everyone in your company is constantly looking to you for cues—just like kids look to their parents.
Every day, whether you're in the office, on Zoom or even just sending a Slack message, your team is subconsciously asking two questions: 'How should I feel?' and 'How can I behave?'
The Two Questions Every Employee Asks
Let's start with 'How should I feel?' This is the one that hits closest to home for me. When you're the CEO, you're the only person in the company who truly knows everything—especially the hard stuff. The worse a situation is, the fewer people know about it, and if only one person knows, it's almost always the CEO. That means your emotional state—what you project, intentionally or not—sets the tone for everyone else.
If you walk into a meeting rattled, anxious or angry, people pick up on it. They don't need to know the details. They just see you, the leader, and think, 'If he's worried, maybe I should be worried too.'
It's like being a parent: Your kids don't need to understand the mortgage or the bills to sense when something's wrong. They just look at your face, your posture, your tone, and they know. It's a biological thing—babies learn how to feel by watching their parents' expressions, even before they understand language. That instinct never really goes away; it just shifts from home to the workplace as we grow up.
The second question is 'How can I behave?' This is about values and culture. You can put all the fancy words you want on the wall—integrity, teamwork, innovation—but at the end of the day, your team is watching you to see what's actually acceptable. If you cut corners, they'll cut corners. If you treat people with respect, they'll do the same. If you lose your temper, gossip or play favorites, you're giving everyone else permission to do it too.
It doesn't matter how well you define your company values if you're not living them. People will always follow your example, not your words. If you want a culture of transparency, you have to be transparent. If you want kindness, you have to be kind. It's that simple—and that hard.
You Don't Get Days Off
Here's the tough part: You don't get to take a day off from this responsibility. You don't get to have a bad day in public. Of course, you're human, and you'll slip up. But the closer you can get to being consistent, the healthier your company will be. You're the emotional thermostat for the whole organization. If you're steady, people feel steady. If you're panicked, people panic. It's a heavy burden, but that's the job.
Authenticity Without Burden
Now, I'm not saying you should be a robot or hide your true self. People need to see that you're real, that you care and that you're invested. But they don't need to carry your worries. That's your job. You get paid to shoulder that burden so your team can focus on doing their best work.
It's not about being stoic or emotionless—it's about being authentic, but disciplined. Show up as yourself, but don't dump your stress on the team. Own your burden, and let them do their jobs without inheriting your anxiety.
Practical Habits For Leading Like A Parent
Over the years, I've picked up a few habits that help me live up to this obligation:
1. Be deliberate with communication.
Timing matters. Don't send out emotional messages late at night or on holidays. Think about how your words will land and when.
2. Be visible and present.
When we were all in the same office, I made a point to walk around, say hi and check in with people. Now, with remote work, I try to be intentional about recognizing people publicly and privately, making sure they know I see their efforts.
3. Check your instincts.
Sometimes I'll notice someone going above and beyond, and I'll check with their manager to make sure my perception matches reality before I give public praise. It's about being fair and thoughtful.
4. Model the values you want to see.
If you want accountability, be accountable. If you want kindness, be kind. People will follow your lead, for better or worse.
This Applies Beyond The Office
This isn't just about being a CEO. It applies to anyone in a position of influence—managers, parents, even friends. We all look to the people above us in the hierarchy, formal or informal, to know how to feel and how to act. If you want to lead, you have to own that responsibility. You have to be the adult in the room, even when it's hard.
Final Thoughts
Leadership isn't about being perfect. It's about being present, consistent and intentional. Your team is always watching, always learning from you. If you remember that, and take it seriously, you'll build a company—and a legacy—worth being proud of.
Forbes Finance Council is an invitation-only organization for executives in successful accounting, financial planning and wealth management firms. Do I qualify?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Business News
4 hours ago
- Time Business News
How Virtual Teams Can Help Entrepreneurs Scale Efficiently
In today's fast-moving world, business owners are always looking for smart ways to grow without spending too much. One great option is using virtual teams. These are groups of remote workers who bring the right skills and flexibility to help a business grow. With a virtual team, entrepreneurs can focus on what they do best while getting expert help to handle the rest. Let's get into it! The Rise of Virtual Teams Virtual teams are becoming more common thanks to better technology and easier ways to communicate. This shift helps entrepreneurs save money on office space and other costs. It also gives them access to a wider range of skilled workers. Instead of only hiring people nearby, they can now work with experts from anywhere in the world, making their business stronger and more competitive. Benefits of Incorporating Virtual Teams Utilizing virtual teams presents numerous advantages that can significantly boost an entrepreneur's efficiency and productivity. Here are a few key benefits: Cost Savings Hiring virtual team members can help cut costs. For example, working with a Philippine virtual assistant usually costs less than hiring someone locally. This means that entrepreneurs can save money while still getting quality support. Flexibility Virtual teams offer flexible work hours. Since team members can be in different time zones, work can continue almost 24/7. This helps businesses stay productive even outside regular office hours. Scalability It's easy to grow or shrink a virtual team based on what a project needs. Entrepreneurs don't have to worry about hiring full-time workers when they only need short-term help. This makes managing resources much easier and more efficient. How to Effectively Manage Virtual Teams Managing a virtual team is different from leading a team in an office. To do it well, you need clear communication, clear goals, and the right tools to stay organized. Here are some helpful tips to make it work: Set Clear Objectives Make sure that your team knows exactly what is expected of them. Clear goals help everyone stay focused and understand their role in the project. When the whole team is on the same page, it's easier to get things done. Use Collaborative Tools Use online tools such as Slack, Trello, or Asana to help your team stay organized. These tools make it easier to talk, share updates, and follow tasks. They also help to hold everyone accountable for their work. Foster Team Connection Help your team feel connected, even if they work far apart. Simple things like regular check-ins or virtual coffee breaks can build stronger relationships. A team that feels like a community works better together. Scaling Your Business with Virtual Teams Incorporating virtual teams into your business model offers a viable path to growth. By leveraging the skills of remote professionals, entrepreneurs can scale operations efficiently while minimizing overhead costs. With the right strategies to manage your virtual team, you can unlock new possibilities for business expansion. Consider embracing this innovative approach today to witness how virtual teams can enhance your operations and contribute to your success. Is this article helpful? Keep reading our blog for more. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Business Insider
4 hours ago
- Business Insider
Inside Indeed's playbook for getting employees comfortable with AI
When the Indeed marketing team gathered recently for an AI training session, a consultant asked a probing question: When it comes to AI, what worries you most? Perhaps surprisingly, people were most concerned about the steep learning curve. Concerns about keeping up with AI are widespread. In the United States, 75% of workers believe the skills needed for their roles will shift in five years, according to a recent Indeed report, " Tomorrow's World: The Workplace and Workforce of the Future." Yet, less than half (45%) have actually been upskilled in the last three years to develop longer-term skills and learning. AI will fundamentally change how people work, and forward-looking companies across industries are starting to treat AI upskilling as a business imperative. PwC, for one, developed a program designed to train employees in managing risks and leadership in the AI era. IKEA is bringing AI literacy training to more than 30,000 workers. Indeed has also rolled out its own AI training programs — from AI 101 tutorials to more advanced training for software developers, who now use AI to generate a third of the company's new code. What does it take to implement an AI upskilling program that sticks? Here's a look at what Indeed's experts have learned along the way. Start by listening and don't stop Before implementing an AI training program, ask your team about what they already know and what they want to learn. "The first step is understanding how we can help," said Megan Myers, Indeed's global director of brand planning, strategy, and operations. Myers, who for nearly two years has led AI education and adoption efforts for the marketing team, has used focus groups and Slack channels to ask employees about their AI use. The fears that surfaced in those conversations prompted her to organize a training session on the psychology of change. That's where Uli Heitzlhofer, the talent management consultant, asked employees what worried them most about AI. "We said, we have to directly address the elephant in the room: People are feeling anxious about what this means," Myers said. Facing fears head-on has helped the team move forward and build momentum. So instead of spending hours writing talking points for a deck, they might prompt Google Gemini to do it: "Give me 30 seconds of voiceover per slide — focus on decisions that need to be made in the room." One team member built a ChatGPT-powered agent to analyze reams of data about brand health in different markets, a task that now takes just a few minutes. AI also helped a team in one market make better decisions about where to place ads, using a tool called Claritas to more than double audience engagement. As the marketing team's AI use grows more sophisticated, Myers continues to survey employees to surface pain points AI might solve. That ensures that the experts she brings in each quarter to deliver training offer guidance that meets real needs. Cover the basics, but focus on details When it comes to using AI, employees often don't know where to start. They know that AI is a transformational tool, but they're looking for concrete advice on how to apply it to their jobs. Heitzlhofer, the consultant, calls it "blank page syndrome." "It's like, oh my god. I'm in front of this empty page. I don't know what to do. I'm just going to do something else," Heitzlhofer said. To help Indeed marketers overcome that paralysis, Myers hosts "power user panels," where people show their peers how they're already using AI for snackable tasks, whether it's to summarize emails or quickly build bar charts to visualize data. Showing people how they can put AI to practical use has been crucial across Indeed's workforce. When Indeed first offered AI training, the company took a "broad strokes" approach, sharing AI basics, the foundations of responsible AI use, and tips for using Gemini for Google Workspace, an AI-powered assistant for Google's suite of apps. While those basics were important, more targeted training for specific job functions has proved even more effective. Since then, Indeed's learning and development team, in partnership with the AI for Indeed team, has designed and developed an eight-workshop AI program for research and development executives. They developed courses for EU-based Indeedians on aligning AI with civil rights and training for managers on how to use AI responsibly to write performance reviews. These tailored efforts have helped drive adoption more effectively than a broad, surface-level rollout. Set specific goals, but make room for experimentation Just because you've built a useful AI upskilling program doesn't mean people will flock to it. While Myers and Heitzlhofer agree that making training mandatory can backfire, it's still important to nudge and motivate people. Myers asks marketers to include one AI goal in their corporate commitments each year. She also challenges them to spend at least 10 hours every six months on AI learning and development, whether that includes attending Indeed's expert training sessions or taking an outside course. "We want you to choose your own adventure with AI and get yourself comfortable with it," she said. While learning leaders need to help employees build confidence with AI through training and practice time, it's up to company and department leaders to create the right environment. That means clearly articulating AI policies, then giving people explicit permission to experiment (and to fail). Heitzlhofer suggested setting up use case libraries and Slack channels or other shared spaces where employees can exchange tips and missteps. "Ideally, they'll share these lessons with others, so collective learning is always happening," he said. Don't just encourage adoption. Measure it. Investment in AI upskilling is already paying off for Indeed. According to internal data, developers now use AI to write 33% of new code at Indeed, up from just 7% in March. Indeed aims to push that number to 50% by year's end. That kind of shift signals real behavior change. The true measure of AI adoption isn't course completions — it's about how people actually use the tools, as captured by metrics like voluntary usage, time saved, and improved quality. Ultimately, that's the key to long-term traction: not just delivering learning, but driving adoption. Without practical application, even the most robust training efforts won't stick.
Harvard Business Review
8 hours ago
- Harvard Business Review
It's Time to Streamline How We Communicate at Work
HBR Staff/Effective communication is the foundation of high-performing organizations, particularly in an era of remote work and an expanding array of digital tools like Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, and internal digital bulletin boards. Yet many leaders fail to set clear communication norms, resulting in burnout, inefficient onboarding, wasted time, and reduced productivity.
