The Hidden Anxiety No One Talks About in Leadership
14 Nov 2025
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Many leaders imagine the top job brings joy—but the first two years of a CEO’s tenure are often dominated by loneliness and anger. Here’s why leadership amplifies anxiety, and what executives can do to manage it.

Sign up to receive @drarthurbrooks six-week newsletter “The Leader’s Happiness Reset" here: https://s.hbr.org/3LIarc0

The Hidden Anxiety No One Talks About in Leadership 14 Nov 2025 --- Many leaders imagine the top job brings joy—but the first two years of a CEO’s tenure are often dominated by loneliness and anger. Here’s why leadership amplifies anxiety, and what executives can do to manage it. Sign up to receive @drarthurbrooks six-week newsletter “The Leader’s Happiness Reset" here: https://s.hbr.org/3LIarc0

The Hidden Anxiety No One Talks About in Leadership

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At Harvard Business Review, we believe in management. If the world’s organizations and institutions were run more effectively, if our leaders made better decisions, if people worked more productively, we believe that all of us — employees, bosses, customers, our families, and the people our businesses affect — would be better off. We try to arm our readers with ideas that help them become smarter, more creative, and more courageous in their work. We encourage comments, critiques, and questions. We expect our community to be a safe space for respectful, constructive, and thought-provoking discussion. We reserve the right to remove or turn off comments at our discretion. We do not tolerate bullying, name-calling, or abusive language related to identity, including race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, age, or region; spam; copyright violation; extreme profanity; or p*rnography.

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The Hidden Anxiety No One Talks About in Leadership

The Hidden Anxiety No One Talks About in Leadership