The CEO role is undeniably challenging. It's mentally exhausting. It's time-consuming. It's high-pressure and fast-paced. And for many, it's no longer the career aspiration it once was.
At the Fortune COO Summit in October, I asked operations chiefs if they aspired to the corner office. While a few admitted it was on their vision board, many expressed hesitance. Some said they'd only consider the role at private companies, and very few were interested in leading public companies. A significant number were adamantly opposed to pursuing the top job anywhere.
