Investing in Yourself: Think like a CEO
Investing in Yourself: Think like a CEO
Leaders illustrate the strength of having skills and mindset aligned
Investing in Yourself: Think like a CEO
Leaders illustrate the strength of having skills and mindset aligned


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·Staying ready and willing to reinvent can be an essential lesson for workers — from early professionals to the C-suite. Many senior levels invest time and money to build this muscle: Nearly four in five U.S. CEOs (78%) prioritize increasing the skills of existing employees.1
While only three in ten Americans aspire to take on a C-suite role, according to Empower research, 32% still think that work satisfaction comes from being an inspiring leader.
Taking cues from CEOs can help workers unlock new learnings on the road toward financial happiness.
Open to opportunities
Company executives are responsible for both pushing their business forward and maintaining a stable foundation for operations. It can be a delicate balance, and generally, they don’t want to rest on their laurels: More than two in five CEOs (42%) say that their companies will remain viable for less than ten years if they stay on their current paths.2
At an enterprise level, creating new pathways can look like gathering additional audiences, with almost 40% of CEOs saying their companies expanded into new sectors over the last five years.3 For workers, new horizons can come from keeping an open mind about what’s next in their careers — from actively seeking out related roles to exploring new businesses.
Success can start at any time in a career. Taking the title from pop megastar Taylor Swift, the world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire is now Lucy Guo, 30, who co-founded the artificial intelligence company Scale AI at the age of 21. Career paths can also take different forms, as Guo dropped out of college where she studied computer science in order to focus on the business.4
Timing can also be a factor when looking for the next big thing in a career. The median tenure of CEOs leading S&P 500 companies has fallen by 20%, from six years in 2013 to 4.8 years in 2022.5 Executives could be seeking new challenges as a way to keep reinventing, with a majority of CEOs saying they expect to stay in their current position for no more than five years.6
Professionals across public and private sectors have been staying in their roles steadily over the past several years. Workers had a median tenure of 3.9 years with their current employer as of January 2024, compared with 4.1 years in January 2020.7,8
With the pool of U.S. jobs being generally healthy — 177,000 added in April 2025, beating expectations — roles are still open for seekers. Job stayers could also see a benefit, too. For those looking to grow their career without turning a search into a full-time job, staying put could be a good play: 83% of recruiters are focusing on engaging passive candidates for job openings.9
Read more: Where the job market is heading in 2025: 7 trends to anticipate
Personal brand builder
CEOs find that connections and existing relationships can help potential sales job candidates stand out (21%), though cultural fit is the most important characteristic (45%).10
Senior leaders are putting in the effort to make names for themselves, with nearly three-quarters of CEOs on the 2024 Fortune 500 list (74%) on at least one social media platform.11 Building a presence could also build trust, in a world where 70% of consumers feel more connected to brands with CEOs that are active on social media.12 One person gaining more exposure could also help the wider company: 98% of tech executives think building a personal brand on social media boosts business outcomes.13
Some workers can put a price on connections, with Empower research revealing that around a third of Americans say their personal network helped get them the job they have now (31%) and the salary they make (29%).
Workers cultivating a personal brand to show that fit — via a resume, social media, and in personal interviews — may need to invest spare time to polish their writing, engage with industry voices, and prepare and feel comfortable delivering talking points. Those interested in extra support could bring in help, with top individuals spending between $7,000 and $20,000 to level up their content and production.14
Standing out from the job crowd could be necessary in today’s strong labor market. The unemployment rate stood relatively low for April 2025 at 4.2% — slightly above a notable dip to 3.4% in April 2023, according to the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.15
Adapting to industry changes
Beyond making proactive moves to expand reach and reframe what’s next, CEOs also stay agile by paying attention to how their industries are shifting and acting accordingly.
Artificial intelligence is expected to add $19.9 trillion to the global economy by 2030, and it has been paying off so far for leaders who’ve integrated the technology. More than half of CEOs (56%) say that GenAI has brought efficiencies to how employees use their time.16
Keeping industry-necessary skills sharp can help people stand out as candidates and potentially boost pay in their next role.
As interest in law school has grown, there’s also room for current professionals to benefit. For example, U.S. job ads for lawyers that require AI skills display wages that are 49% higher than lawyer listings that don’t require AI skills.17
Read more: Lawyer up: Why more students are turning to law school
Learning AI skills has seen a whopping 866% year-over-year wave of demand, and many industry leaders have called out the need to move quickly across all areas of the economy — not just the tech sector.18
In May 2025, more than 250 CEOs signed an open letter in the hopes of accelerating the growth of AI learning, with a push for AI and computer science courses to be required classes for U.S. K-12 students. The statement mentioned how just one computer science class can boost lifetime wages by 8% and the odds of getting a job by 3%.19
Getting the right knowledge early on could help workers get ahead of the curve, even when they’re not fully ready (or old enough) for a new role. As Baby Boomers retire, companies in the skilled trades have been recruiting high schoolers from shop classes, sometimes making offers before graduation. Finding the right fit can leverage teens’ digital-native tech skills during a time when trades increasingly integrate technology in addition to needing core labor skills like welding.20
Staying invested
Resiliency is a core attribute for many in leadership positions, and the C-suite is optimistic about 2025 in particular. In the first quarter of 2025, CEO confidence reached its highest level in three years.21
As workers bring more attention to what they can highlight to employers, they could see more confidence in their career. Empower research found that 51% of people think the surest path to success is a well-paying job, and learning from CEOs could help with climbing both the job and income ladders.
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Put your money to work for life and play
1 KPMG, “2024 U.S. CEO Outlook Pulse Survey,” accessed May 2025.
2 PWC, “PwC’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey,” accessed May 2025.
3 PWC, “PwC’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey,” accessed May 2025.
4 Forbes, “This AI Founder Has Unseated Taylor Swift As The World’s Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire,” April 2025.
5 Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, “CEO Tenure Rates,” August 2023.
6 PWC, “PwC’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey,” accessed May 2025.
7 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Median tenure with current employer was 3.5 years in private sector in January 2024,” April 2025.
8 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Median tenure with current employer was 4.1 years in January 2020,” September 2020.
9 The Interview Guys, “83% of Recruiters Are Focusing on Passive Candidates: Here’s How to Get Discovered in the Hidden Job Market,” April 2025.
10 Inc., “Here’s What Inc. 5000 CEOs Look For When Hiring Salespeople,” August 2024.
11 Influential Executive, “How Many Fortune 500 CEOs Are On Social Media In 2024?” July 2024.
12 Sprout Social, “#BrandsGetReal: What consumers want from brands in a divided society,” accessed May 2025.
13 DSM8, “28 Executive Social Media Statistics You Need To Know,” October 2024.
14 Forbes, “How Much Does It Cost To Build A Personal Brand In 2025?” January 2025.
15 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Unemployment rate 3.4 percent in April 2023,” May 2023.
16 PWC, “PwC’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey,” accessed May 2025.
17 Fortune, “You don’t have to be a programmer to cash in on artificial intelligence. AI skills in these non-tech professions come with massive wage increases,” May 2024.
18 Forbes, “10 AI Skills To Boost Your Salary Up To 47% In 2025,” February 2025.
19 Forbes, “Mandatory AI Education For All U.S. Students? Top CEOs Say Yes,” May 2025.
20 The Wall Street Journal, “The High-School Juniors With $70,000-a-Year Job Offers,” May 2025.
21 Conference Board, “CEO Confidence Increased Sharply in Q1 2025,” February 2025.
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