Episode Overview What happens to learning when you reach the top? In this thoughtful and research-grounded conversation, Laurie Baedke sits down with globally recognized leadership scholar and mentorship expert Dr. Suzanne de Janasz to explore a reality many senior leaders quietly experience: leadership can become profoundly lonely at the top. Drawing from her groundbreaking research, Dr. de Janasz challenges the assumption that mentorship is remedial, or unnecessary, for CEOs. Instead, she makes a compelling case for why mentorship is essential for decision-making, performance, resilience, and well-being at the highest levels of leadership. This episode is a must-listen for CEOs, senior executives, physician leaders, and anyone preparing for the weight and responsibility of enterprise leadership. Meet the Guest Dr. Suzanne de Janasz is a globally respected leadership scholar, negotiation expert, and educator with appointments at top institutions including London Business School. Her work has been published in outlets such as Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and she has advised organizations worldwide on leadership development, mentoring, negotiation, and change management. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why learning changes at the CEO level * The hidden pressures of the top role * Why new CEOs often face a “perfect storm” of expectations without meaningful onboarding * How isolation and visibility alter how (and with whom) leaders learn Mentorship vs. coaching: what CEOs really need * Why “been there, done that” experience matters * The critical distinction between mentoring, coaching, and peer support * When it’s both/and, not either/or The power of a personal board of advisors * Why relying on a single mentor is insufficient and unrealistic * The value of diverse mentors across career stages and specialties * When and how to thoughtfully “prune” mentoring relationships Trust, vulnerability, and why bosses shouldn’t be mentors * Why psychological safety is non-negotiable * How confidentiality enables real learning at senior levels * The role of vulnerability in normalizing challenge and self-doubt The real ROI of mentorship * What mentors help CEOs avoid (costly missteps, blind spots, ethical landmines) * What mentors help CEOs pursue (confidence, clarity, perspective, resilience) * Why mentorship may be “beer money” compared to the cost of leadership mistakes Mentorship, well-being, and resilience * How connection protects against burnout and isolation * Gender dynamics in senior leadership mentoring * Why helping others is physiologically and psychologically good for leaders The mindset shift every CEO must make * Mentorship is not remedial, it’s developmental * Growth requires intentional investment, not crisis response * Why mentorship deserves a protected place on the calendar Connect with Dr. de Janasz Suzanne de Janasz website - https://suzannedejanasz.com Suzanne de Janasz - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannedejanasz/ CEOs Need Mentors Too, in Harvard Business Review - https://hbr.org/2015/04/ceos-need-mentors-too
