There is something many CEOs recognize but rarely talk about: that they often do not get the full picture.
Not because people are lying. But because the organization — unconsciously, structurally, humanly — filters what reaches the top. Bad news is delayed. Problems are reframed as challenges. Concerns are quietly absorbed.
It is not ill will. It is self-preservation.
Why information gets filtered upwards
No one wants to be the person who delivers bad news to their leader. It is one of the most natural behaviors in any organization. You wait until the problem is resolved. You reframe it. You hope someone else will raise it first.
The result is that the leader makes decisions based on a picture of reality that is somewhat more positive than the actual one. In small doses, that is manageable. When it accumulates over time, it becomes a structural risk — not just for decision-making, but for the organization's ability to correct course before it is too late.
What you can do about it
Signal consistently that bad news is welcome. Not in an email to the organization — but through how you actually respond when someone raises something uncomfortable. If you punish the messenger, however subtly, the messages stop coming.
Seek information where it actually exists. Often not in the leadership team — but in conversations with those closest to the customer, closest to the product, closest to what is actually happening day to day.
And consider having someone external test your assumptions against. Someone who is not part of the organization, has no career stake in the outcome, and does not filter out of courtesy.
What nobody tells you about the CEO role
You can be surrounded by people and still be informationally alone. It is not visible from the outside. But it affects every decision you make. The best protection against it is rarely more meetings. It is fewer, but more honest conversations — with the right people.
If you have thoughts, questions, or simply want to talk something through — feel free to get in touch. I am happy to have an initial conversation with no agenda.
Magdalena Hagström Ståhl
By M Consulting AB
Right person. Right place. Everything changes.