What does motivation reveal about CEO readiness?

It’s a striking question that more CEOs — or those who aspire to become one — should be asking and even asking themselves. Leaders are often evaluated on their ability to scale an organization, manage complexity, inspire employees, and reassure investors. These are critical competencies. But it doesn’t touch on the deeper question: If you don’t lead, will anything meaningful be lost?

As Leslie Mutter, CEO of Make-A-Wish, recently told me, being CEO is not a right or the inevitable next rung on the corporate ladder, but rather a responsibility. Increasingly, it requires moral clarity, flexibility, and a sense of commitment that goes beyond ambition.

Chesky’s question reframes the CEO role the way founders often understand it: not as something you want to achieve, but as something you feel compelled to take on.

It calls to mind a conversation I had it earlier this year With Nike’s Elliott Hill, who told me he sought the CEO position because he sincerely believed he was the person who could return the company to exponential growth. Likewise, Damola Adamolekun, CEO of Red Lobster, recently told me that he accepted the role believing he could help spark change Greatest restaurant makeover In recent memory. In both cases, the reason was not the title. It was a problem they felt personally responsible for solving.

The best CEOs often say they were motivated not by their deservingness of the top job, but by the realization that there was work to do. Instead of thinking they deserve the seat, they realize that this seat deserves something that only they can provide. Without this conviction, the CEO role risks becoming an empty performance.

This mentality is even more important today. With CEO turnover accelerating and trust in organizations weakening, the CEO is no longer just a strategist or operator. They are the bearers of the organization’s raison d’être.

Editor’s note: The deadline to apply for the Fortune Next to Lead list is Monday, December 1, 2025. For more information or to submit a nomination, Apply here.

Ruth Umoh
ruth.umoh@fortune.com

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