CEO Optimism Sinks

Economic confidence among CEOs continued to decline according to the Q4 2018 survey. The Vistage CEO Confidence Index was 95.4 in Q4, down from 103.0 in Q3 and last year’s fifteen-year peak of 110.3.

Confidence Index Highlights

  • 44% of CEOs said the economy had recently improved, a 20 point drop from last quarter.
  • 70% of CEOs expect increased revenues in the year ahead. (down from 75%)
  • 43% of CEOs expect to increase investment expenditures in the next year. (down from 50%)
  • 14% of CEOs expect the economy to post additional gains this year. (down from 25%)
  • 61% of CEOs expect increased profits in the year ahead. (unchanged)
  • 65% of CEOs plan to expand their workforce in the year ahead. (down from 75%)

Notably, hiring intentions as well as profit expectations showed only small recent variations, although both were below levels recorded earlier this year. The largest disconnect is between the pessimistic outlook for the national economy and the modest declines in how CEOs view their own prospects. For more details, click here.

Elisa K Spain

You can read more of my blogs and leadership quotes here.

Are You a CEO or President of a Privately Held Business? If you are also a lifetime learner, and want to learn more about my Vistage Group, click here.

Ah the Wonder of a Child…

Ah, the wonder of a child. We hear all the time that all children are creative, all children are artists; and then something happens as adults and we self-select into those who are creative and artistic, and those who are not.

I wonder how much of this is because as adults we are bound by what we know. The more we bring our knowledge and experience to a given circumstance, the more likely we are to miss an opportunity to look with the fresh eyes of a child. On the other hand, knowledge often equals wisdom, the ability to learn from experience and therefore make better choices.

So, how do we know when we are bringing wisdom and when we are bringing limiting beliefs to a given situation? Perhaps these questions can help:

  1. Is what I am about to do something I have done before and if so, is my previous experience relevant?
  2. If it is something new, is my previous experience truly relevant, or is it holding me back?
  3. Am I uncomfortable with taking on something new and therefore looking for knowledge that will justify my discomfort?
  4. What if I suspended judgement and argued for a reason to say yes?
  5. What if I suspended judgement and argued for a reason to say no?

Elisa K Spain

You can read more of my blogs and leadership quotes here.

 

The Gift of a New Year

A new year, a new beginning.  An opportunity to choose..

  • What is important to me?
  • What important thing have I been neglecting? Health perhaps?
  • What am I willing to change, perhaps stop doing, so that what is important actually gets my attention?
  • What actions am I willing to take to turn my resolutions into actions and my actions into habits that extend beyond Valentine’s Day?

Elisa K Spain

You can read more of my blogs and leadership quotes here.