The CEO BounceBack Kit
Why every leader needs a plan for when the music stops
Let’s be honest, being a CEO is one of the riskiest jobs in the world.
It might look glamorous from the outside with your corner office, global travel, decision-making power and title, but the reality is that it’s a high-stakes, high-risk seat that can turn cold very quickly.
Over the last year alone, CEOs have been leaving at record levels.
Across the United States, Challenger Gray & Christmas recorded 1,991 CEO exits in 2024, the highest number ever tracked. By mid-2025 another 1,028 had already stepped down or been pushed out, almost 20 percent up on the previous year.
Europe tells a similar story. Spencer Stuart’s latest CEO Transitions report found that 12.3 percent of Europe’s 579 major listed companies changed their CEO in 2024, rising to around 13 percent among the UK sample of 100 firms. The average tenure for departing CEOs is falling to 7.4 years globally, with more leaders exiting before the five-year mark than ever before.
Even those who deliver strong results can find themselves suddenly out of favour with a restless board, activist investors, a market downturn, or simply “time for new leadership”. It’s not always personal, but it always feels personal. And the higher the profile, the harder the fall.
So if you’re leading at that level, you need to know something critical:
Your ability to bounce back will define your longevity far more than any quarterly result ever will.
I get to explore this with clients through my power hours or longer coaching journey’s. Even though each case is specific this is the kind of thinking I believe all CEOs should bear in mind.
The Mindset of the Modern CEO
Every CEO knows how to think about growth, risk and shareholder value. Fewer think deeply about personal risk.
When you take that top job, you’re effectively holding two positions.
steward of the organisation and
steward of your own leadership capital.
You are both the face of the company and the product being appraised.
That means your mindset must hold three things at once:
Vision to see beyond today’s numbers and build something enduring.
Risk Appetite to take bold bets, knowing not all will land.
Resilience to prepare for the day the board decides your song is over.
The best CEOs I’ve worked with don’t see getting fired as failure, rather they see it as part of the terrain. They plan for it, expect it and because they’ve prepared, they can pivot with grace, clarity and control.
Negotiating from Day One
Before you step into the role, one of the first moves you make is critical. You should negotiate your package with your exit in mind.
Too many CEOs negotiate as if they’ll be there forever. Don’t do that. From day one, assume your tenure could end abruptly. And that my friends is not pessimism, it’s realism.
A strong initial package should include terms that account for that possibility.
Meaningful severance ideally 12 to 18 months or more.
Accelerated vesting or partial payout of long-term incentives and share options.
Clarity on non-competes and other clauses that could limit your next move.
Reputation protection. Agreed language for any future public announcements.
Board-approved communication plan in case of succession or replacement.
If things go south, you want a financial and reputational buffer that allows you to act from a position of strength rather than one of survival. Negotiating these terms upfront gives you leverage, freedom and peace of mind.
When you negotiate with the expectation of an eventual exit, you create space and that space is what allows you to lead boldly.
The CEO BounceBack Kit
Think of this as your insurance policy for identity, income and influence.
It’s the infrastructure that keeps you steady when the chair beneath you shifts.
Your Personal Brand Narrative
Your title may change, but your story must endure. Document your wins, define your philosophy, and own your narrative. Don’t wait for the exit to start polishing your profile.
You can be visible beyond your company. Publish content, speak, mentor, share ideas. And if you are more reserved then ensure your strategic network understand how to amplify you.
Your voice should never depend on your position.
Your Strategic Network
Power doesn’t sit in a role, it lives in relationships.
Invest in your network of board members, investors, mentors, coaches and peers before you need them. Keep in touch with an informal “advisory cabinet” of trusted confidants who will tell you the truth and open new doors when one closes.
Create a solid financial plan that gives you the freedom you desire. Diversify your assets and maintain liquidity. Understand your vesting and/or severance terms inside out.
Money is not just security, it’s clarity. It lets you act with integrity when pressure mounts.
Your Transition Plan
Every CEO should have a written “What If” plan:
What would I do in the first 90 days if I left tomorrow?
Who are the five people I’d call?
Which boards, projects or ventures excite me next?
This is foresight. CEOs who map their next chapter early bounce back faster and with purpose.
Your Learning and Renewal
Stay curious and stay relevant.
Too often, a CEO role can trap you in the operational and strategic now. Keep learning new technologies, legislation, trends, policies and leadership science, or whatever stretches you.
Be deliberate about your legacy. The manner of your exit will often speak louder than your tenure.
How you handle pressure, communicate values, and model integrity becomes the story people tell long after you’ve left.
Your Opportunity Radar
Keep your radar on, even if it feels uncomfortable. Scan for emerging sectors, boards, or causes that align with your purpose. Keep in touch with headhunters and recruitment companies even if you are not leaving imminently. Don’t wait till you have to put up your LinkedIn green badge - which you should never do, by the way - to connect with said recruiters or headhunters.
Think of yourself as more than just a CEO. Start to think of yourself as running an airline rather than just being a polot. The next phase might be venture building, teaching, or philanthropy. Building with a destination or destinations in mind.
Power without preparedness is fragile because even the most celebrated CEO can become tomorrow’s press release. Brave leadership is not about clinging to the title, rather it’s about building enough self-awareness, reputation and optionality to move with confidence when the music stops.
When you have your BounceBack Kit ready, you lead differently.
You make braver decisions. You challenge convention.
You stop negotiating with fear.
If you’re reading this as a CEO or aspiring one, I have a question for you:
What would happen if your board called you in tomorrow and said, “It’s time”?
Would you panic?
Or would you already know your next move, your next call, your next chapter?
That’s the difference between leadership by luck and leadership by design.
If you’re ready to design your own CEO BounceBack Kit, book a private strategic session with me where we can explore risk, resilience and reinvention.
Remember smart CEOs don’t just build companies, they build themselves too
