Summary: All too often, the relationships between chairpersons and CEOs are filled with tension that affects the entire organization. If you want to create a more productive atmosphere, senior leaders need to identify the source of their issues so they can build a new bond that’s based on trust and respect. That’s where Isabelle Nüssli, the author of Cockfighting, comes in.<br> After she lived through her own toxic chairperson-CEO scenario, she decided to uncover the roots behind these complicated relationships. She interviewed more than 70 chairpersons and CEOs, and that is what she shares in her book Cockfighting.<br> In this episode, we go over her findings on the conscious and unconscious drivers of conflict. The things that intensify those conflicts. If you’re ready to break through the classic Chairperson-CEO conflict, and build a new partnership that empowers your productivity, innovation and success. This is the episode for you.<br> <br> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cockfighting-Solving-Unconscious-Sabotage-Corporate/dp/1544513119/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a>Get Isabelle’s new book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cockfighting-Solving-Unconscious-Sabotage-Corporate/dp/1544513119/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cockfighting</a> on Amazon.<br> Find out more at <a href="www.leverage-your-self.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leverage Your Self</a>.<br> <br> Isabelle Nüssli: I spoke to other people in senior positions, and I learned that I was far from alone. Most of them have experienced similar turmoil but had never spoken about it. Interestingly, it seems that admitting issues of this nature are almost a taboo—admitting that is weak management or weak power structure or weak leadership structure.<br> That’s when I realized that something could and actually should be done about it. That’s when I started with my process and ultimately led me to the writing of the book Cockfighting.<br> <br> Charlie Hoehn: Was this primarily written for the CEO and Chairperson relationship or is this a book that’s also for the CEO and the assistant relationship, you know? Any sort of dynamic like that?<br> Isabelle Nüssli: It’s a very good question. I actually started off writing it in context with the chairperson-CEO relationship or conflict. The more deeply I dove into it, the more I realized that most high level relationships, especially on power and exposure, ultimately leadership are involved, it affects these relationships too. The CCCC—this Chairperson-CEO Collaboration Contract—can be applied by other business couples.<br> Conflict Background<br> Charlie Hoehn: Can you kind of lay out what kind of problems you’ve seen with the CEO-Chairperson relationship when they’re in so much conflict? What does this do to them on a personal level and on a professional level?<br> Isabelle Nüssli: Yes, absolutely. First of all, if it stretches yourself so much, you learn a lot about yourself. I remember in my case, I was lucky that I was able to sleep well. It was like short nights too, but I did sleep well.<br> However, amongst the 70 chairpersons and CEO I interviewed, there were quite many that don’t sleep well. Quality of sleep is a very strong indicator of your health or wellbeing. On a personal level, there’s psychological pain, so the doubts and the fears and loneliness. It’s cold and rough up there. That’s definitely something that’s usually kept under the covers. It’s not spoken about.<br> <br> You can’t show vulnerability, you cannot expose weakness to others. <br> <br> That’s actually something that gets to your health. That often spills over into family life. I see business family like a three-legged chair. The three legs are connected, and all need to be healthy in order for the chair to stand properly and to be stable.<br> Suffering can lead to health issues as mentioned—sleeping disorders or physical pain, and of course worse case too.
