Structure and sanity: Why every CEO needs a good support system

Being a CEO can feel really f*cking grim in reality. I should know – I’ve sought therapy in the past to help me protect my mental health. And I’m certainly not alone – studies confirm the toll: a UK survey found 93% of startup founders show signs of mental health strain and 76% feel lonely. Those are epic statistics and ones that should make us all pause for thought.

However, many founder CEOs don’t take the right steps to secure a support network around them before they reach a mental health crisis – and I’m not talking about traditional therapists and mental health support. I’m talking about putting in place the right people and the right structure in your organisation so that the mental load on you never becomes overwhelming in the first place.

It might not sound like an obvious link, but I’m a big believer that the right ‘support system’ at work is an absolute bloody necessity for founder CEOs – so let’s make sure you’ve got one too.

Trust me, it’s cheaper than therapy.

Neurodiverse leaders: Different wiring, same needs

I’ll start by addressing the elephant in the room. If you’re a founder CEO then there is a higher-than-average chance that you are neurodiverse. I am.

For example, around 29% of entrepreneurs have ADHD, compared to an average of around 5% in the population at large. Your difference might not be ADHD – it could be dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, autism, or something different. Whatever it is, you’re quite probably wired differently to most other people.

That’s your superpower. It’s one of the biggest reasons why you’re a founder CEO in the first place, the need to do something YOUR way, better than the way people have done it so far. It actually gives you a better chance of success too – 40% of self-made millionaires in the UK are dyslexic. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Father Dunne.

The crazy thing? We’re all taught (mainly through a f*cked up education system and basic ignorance) to hide it. To pretend we’re the same as everyone else. Well, you’re the boss now so bollocks to that. It’s time to embrace what makes us different, to unleash our differences and – crucially – to build an organisation with people who can do what we can’t do – because we all know they can’t do what we can.

The skill is to outsource or delegate what you struggle with (like paperwork or scheduling) so you can focus on what you do best. Lean on partners or advisors who complement your style. For example, if ADHD fuels your drive, partner with someone detail-oriented; if you’re autistic with big visions, hire an empathetic COO who handles the social side. In short, even if your brain lights up in patterns others don’t, surround yourself with wise, experienced people to sharpen those gifts and catch the things you might miss.

Here, we take a look at the ways any founder CEO can build a team that offers them the right support system. This advice doesn’t just apply to the neurodivergents among us, though – this shit works for anyone and everyone.

Co-founders and Senior Team: Your first line of defence

If you have co-founders, cherish them – they share the madness of leadership. The closest you’ll get to someone who truly gets the 24/7 stress of being “on.” When the time comes to make wild-eyed calls, your co-founder can be the sounding board (and reality check) you need.

If you founded your company solo, build that partnership into your senior team. Pick at least one veteran leader who’s more like a peer than a subordinate – someone brave enough to say “Sorry mate, that’s a shite idea.” Without those challengers, you risk becoming an echo chamber.

• Diverse strengths. Assemble co-founders or executives with complementary skills. One visionary and one execution pro make far better decisions together.
• Truth-tellers only. Encourage honesty. Let your team call you out (respectfully) when you get tunnel vision.
• External mentors. If your internal team can’t speak up, recruit external allies (like experienced coaches or mentors who’ve been CEOs themselves). They’ve “carried the scars” of running payroll, firing people, raising capital – so they won’t sugarcoat hard truths.

Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff: Stop doing £10 tasks

One of the most common mistakes founder CEOs make? Refusing to hire help. If you’re still booking your own flights, managing calendars, or spellchecking your emails, you’re not acting like a CEO – you’re an overpaid admin. Delegating low-value tasks is crucial. A skilled assistant can filter your inbox, schedule your time, and keep small fires from ever reaching you. This buys you hours each week for the million-pound decisions only you can make.

Right now, I use a Smartsourcing setup, where the brilliant Pat works for me full-time from the Philippines on UK hours. Absolute game-changer. In the past, I’ve used Time etc, which gave me a brilliant fractional assistant here in the UK. In fact, Barnaby – their founder – even wrote the foreword for my book Mind Your F**king Business.

Your immediate to-do list is:

• Delegate the trivial. Identify routine tasks (booking, data entry, brief responses) and hand them over. Your focus should be strategic thinking, not proofreading your emails.
• Choose experienced help. Whether full-time, part-time, or fractional, the right person will anticipate needs, prep you for meetings, and even craft your communications.
• Chief of Staff as partner. In growth-stage startups, a CoS can be a step up: they help sync between departments, run special projects, and essentially act as a “shadow CEO” when needed.

In short, hire a bloody assistant. Build systems around protecting your time. It’s absolute madness for a CEO to do admin when they should be steering the ship. Without this support, every day feels frantic – with it, you can think and lead clearly.

Board members and advisors: Your strategic trainers

No matter how brilliant you are, you can’t see everything. That’s why outside perspective is key. If you took funding, your board of directors (the right board) can be a game-changer – challenging you, asking tough questions, and keeping you accountable. If you bootstrap, don’t bother pretending you need a formal board to look proper. Instead, form an advisory board: a small circle (3–4 people) of seasoned operators or entrepreneurs who’ve been there.

An advisory board provides non-binding guidance, strategic advice and industry insights to your business. Think of these advisors as mentors without a mandate – they won’t vote on company policy, but they will share expertise, contacts, and blunt feedback. Ideally they’re from diverse industries or with complementary backgrounds to yours, so they spot blind spots you miss. For example, someone who’s raised VC money can prep you for pitches, while another who scaled sales can critique your GTM strategy.

• Challenge assumptions. Good advisors won’t just pat you on the back. They’ll push you to validate the tough stuff (and steer you away from hype).
• Tap networks. Experienced board members often open doors – to investors, partners or key hires.
• Reality check. When you’re too deep in the weeds, an outsider’s view can snap you back to reality (“No, your product can’t do that,” or “Have you really forecasted hiring correctly?”).

In short, consider an advisory board the strategic stabilisers on your business bicycle. It’s not about optics; it’s about having a trusted brain trust to say, “Wait, did you test that?” or “Have you considered risk X?” No one can do it all alone, so build a table of wise heads around you.

How a coach or mentor makes all the difference

A coach or mentor is different from an advisor: they’re your personal mirror, not a map. A coach’s job is to help you see yourself clearly. They ask the hard “why” questions, catch you making excuses, and push you out of your comfort zone. Every superstar in sports or music has a coach; why should business be any different? The best executive coaches often have walked in your shoes (former CEOs or founders) and can say, “Alex, that’s bull, you know it” – which is weirdly painful and invaluable.

• Get a coach before a crisis. Don’t wait until you’ve hit a wall. Regular coaching sessions sharpen your thinking and build mental habits for stress.
• Experience matters. If you can, hire coaches who’ve been in the CEO seat. They’ve carried payrolls and made tough calls, so they truly “get it.”
• Accountability partners. A coach keeps you honest about your goals and personal blind spots. They help translate self-reflection into action.

The ROI on coaching is no joke. CEOs who see coaching often get wiser, calmer, and more effective at leading. In therapy or coaching, you learn tools and get perspective so that under pressure you don’t unravel – you thrive.

Family, free days, and setting an example

No support system is complete without family and time off. It’s tempting to skimp on breaks when stakes are high, but constant grind only hammers your brain. Schedule protected time. In practice, try one full day quarterly just for yourself (no email, no laptop), plus special days for your partner or kids. Give your family the real you, not the leftovers.

• Unplug completely. On your free days, resist the urge to check Slack or finance dashboards. You’re literally trading short-term ease for long-term creative horsepower.
• Family first. Be present when you’re off-duty. Simple activities (a proper breakfast date, a walk in the woods) can recharge you far more than one more email.
• Model balance. Remember: the way you handle stress sets the tone for your whole team. If you burn out without a break, they will too. By investing in downtime, you signal it’s not just acceptable – it’s necessary.

Peer networks: Other CEOs get it

Finally, remember: no one “gets” a CEO quite like another CEO. Join or create peer networks. This could be informal (monthly dinners with a handful of founder friends) or formal groups like Vistage, YPO or UK-based forums. For example, groups like theice.network offer confidential platforms for CEOs to share stories. It’s one of the reasons I get all my clients together once a year at our annual summit – of course there’s lots of shop talk but it’s also a chance for them to meet each other and spend time with people that just know what it’s like.

Ditch the Lone Ranger myth

Leading a company is lonely – there’s no getting around it. But the idea that a “visionary CEO” must go it alone is pure bollocks. Every CEO (especially those with restless, different brains) needs a real support system. That means therapists and coaches for your head, partners and advisors for your strategy, an assistant to guard your time, family to ground you, and peers to remind you humans are on both sides of the table.

This isn’t soft fluff – it’s hard-edged strategy for survival and success. With the right people around you, you’ll bounce instead of break when pressure hits.

Going solo isn’t noble. It’s just stupid.

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Written by business coach and leadership coaching expert Dominic Monkhouse. You can order your free copy of his new book, Mind Your F**king Business here.