Life is a hierarchy, no matter what guys like Lenin want you to believe and so we all grow up wanting in some way or another to be an executive of a huge corporation. But the question is “Is that really what we should aspire to in life? Is it what it is cracked up to be?” Well I am going to take the position that, no that it not what many of us really want if we understand what is involved—even the high pay and in the next few paragraphs I will tell you why.
Being an executive sounds good because all we think about is the millions of dollars in salary as well as the incredible stock options, the power, and the private jets and vacation homes in the Caribbean. But what is it really like to be a CEO in a huge company?
Well I am just ranting really, but trying to be way more objective than most people when they think about this, that it totally sucks. That is unless you like the high pressure life, on a steady diet of antacids and sedatives; working round the clock in a constant and wearying struggle with jet lag; never having time to be with family and friends—no support to counteract the demands; under constant scrutiny about how you live your life and your business ethics; always having to compete with others to maintain power; under tremendous temptation to look for your satisfaction in more “convenient” venues; never able to relax; never able to enjoy your salary; working when you should be playing like on the endless golf “breaks” with clients; and the list could go on for a while. Being an executive looks good but doesn’t feel good.
These troubles do add up too. Not many CEOs make it for very long any more and I would be willing to bet some serious cash (if I had enough that I wouldn’t worry about losing it) that when all is said and done they may want to have done things differently in the end. An executive may say to themselves, I don’t think I would have worked so hard for something that was so worthless and caused me more pain than true satisfaction. And look where I am, no further ahead in this world with things that matter to me like my wife and my kids and the things that I enjoy. Basically I have made it easier to get another job like that doing all of those things that I have grown to hate.
As you can see I don’t think I would become an executive if the opportunity dropped into my lap. In fact I might encourage all the executive officers out there to sit down and really think about their objectives in this life. After all do you live to work or work to live?
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More About Hallidae Thomason: Becoming an executive in a mid sized company, Hallidae Thomason went about things the hard way for some time before getting out. Now she wants others to know the truth and avoid the crap. If you want to know the truth, go to www.allexecutive.info. |
