The Silent Saboteur: Why Your Spreadsheet is Lying to You

Erica Kesse

In the world of high-level leadership, we are taught to worship the spreadsheet. We are told that as a CEO, our decisions must be data-driven, logical, and objective.


But there is a silent saboteur that no data set can capture. It’s that subtle, persistent knot in your stomach when you’re about to sign a new contract, or the sudden loss of energy when you look at your perfectly optimized five-year plan.

If your numbers say "Go" but your body says "No," you are experiencing the most expensive conflict in business: Internal Friction.


The CEO’s Secret GPS: Beyond Logic


Most traditional business advice tells you to ignore that feeling. They call it nerves and tell you to be professional. But ignoring your intuition is a direct hit to your mental health.


Your gut isn't just a feeling; it’s a sophisticated internal GPS. It processes thousands of micro-data points—the slight shift in a partner's tone, a subtle change in market vibe, or the misalignment of a new hire's values—long before your mind can translate them into a row on a spreadsheet.


When you override this system to follow a "logical" plan that doesn't feel right, you aren't being disciplined. You are driving with the emergency brake on.


The Cost of Disconnected Leadership


When your strategy (The Mind) and your intuition (The Gut) are at war, you stop thriving. You begin to "flounder," but in a way that is invisible to others


  • The Symptom: You find yourself procrastinating on "simple" tasks. You feel a sense of dread for meetings that should be exciting.
  • The Diagnosis: Most people call this "burnout."
  • The Reality: It isn’t burnout; it’s Vertical Misalignment.


True burnout is a lack of energy. This is different—this is a misdirection of energy. You are spending more power fighting yourself than you are fighting the competition. This internal war is the single greatest thief of a CEO’s peace of mind.

Vertical Alignment: The Path to Thriving

To move from surviving to thriving, you must achieve what I call Vertical Integration. This is where your leadership becomes effortless.


  • The Mind: Creates the logical map.
  • The Heart: Ensures the destination matches your values.
  • The Gut: Tells you if the road is actually safe to travel.


When these three centers point North together, the friction vanishes. You don't have to "force" yourself to work. Decisions become instant. You stop second-guessing. You start leading from a place of "Command," and your business finally feels light, fast, and road-ready.

Why Your Business Feels Like a Burden (And How to Fix the Invisible Brake)

By Erica Kesse • February 6, 2026
You didn’t start your business to become a mechanic. You started it to be a visionary. Yet, lately, you find yourself exhausted, second-guessing your intuition, and feeling like the entire weight of the company is resting on your shoulders.  In my work with leaders, I call this "Strategic Floundering." It’s that heavy, tight feeling in your chest when you realize that despite the long hours, the view from the summit isn't getting any closer. Here is the truth most consultants miss: You don’t have a productivity problem. You have a configuration problem. To reach your Vision (The Horizon), you need a high-performance Mission (The Vehicle). Your Vision is the emotional "Why." Your Mission is the operational "How." If the vehicle is broken—missing tires, no fuel, or a seized engine—it doesn't matter how hard you stare at the horizon. You aren't going anywhere. When your Mission is vague, you pay the "Ambiguity Tax." This isn't a line item on your P&L, but it is your most expensive cost. The First-Order Effect: You jump in to fix every small problem. The Second-Order Effect: Y our best people stop thinking for themselves because they know you’ll take over. You accidentally turn "A-Players" into "order-takers." This creates a Ghost Engine where your personal health and sleep are the only things keeping the company moving. This isn't a business; it's a cage. Real leadership isn't just a head game. To stop pushing the car and start driving it, you must achieve Vertical Integration: The Head (Mind): Does the Mission make logical sense? Does every service have its own tires (budget and staff)? The Heart: Does this work still feed your soul, or have you abandoned your values for growth? The Gut: Do you t rust your own intuition, or are you ignoring the "check engine" light in your stomach? When these three are aligned, the friction disappears. You move from being a worker in your business to being the Commander of your legacy. You can keep pushing the car until you burn out, or you can pull over and fix the engine.

Wellbeing at Work: Why Purpose (Mission) is the Ultimate Buffer Against Burnout

By Erica Kesse • January 23, 2026
Why can a CEO work 80 hours a week on a passion project and feel energized, but 40 hours on a meaningless task feels draining? The answer lies in Purpose . Research shows that connecting work to a higher Mission is one of the strongest buffers against burnout. If you are worried about the mental health of your leadership team, look at your Mission statement first. The "Why" Matters More Than the "What" "Quiet quitting" and executive burnout often stem from a sense of futility. Weak Mission: "We want to increase Q3 profits." (High stress, low fulfillment). Strong Mission: "We exist to save our home planet." (Patagonia). (High effort, high fulfillment).  Leadership Resilience For a CEO, the Mission is the fuel tank. When times get tough, profit goals won't keep you warm. Only a deep belief in why you exist can sustain your wellbeing through a crisis.

Mental Health in the C-Suite: Why Shared Vision Creates Safer Workplaces

By Erica Kesse • January 16, 2026
A toxic work environment is rarely intentional. It usually grows in the vacuum of a clear Vision. When people don't know where the company is going, they become territorial, political, and anxious. For leadership, solving this isn't just about HR policies; it's about painting a clear picture of the future. A shared Vision is a cornerstone of psychological safety. Uncertainty vs. Wellbeing Human beings crave certainty. In the absence of a clear Vision: Employees worry about their job security. Managers hoard information. CEOs feel isolated. This environment destroys wellbeing. However, when the Vision ("The Summit") is clear, the team focuses on the climb rather than fighting each other. The "Mars Group" Therapy Running a visioning exercise (like the "Mars Group" framework) is surprisingly therapeutic. It allows the team to detach from daily stressors and reconnect with why they do the work. It shifts the collective mindset from "survival mode" to "creation mode." A clear Vision doesn't just drive profit; it lowers cortisol. It unifies the tribe and makes the workplace a safer space to be.
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