Cameron HeroldFounder of the COO Alliance & Invest In Your Leaders Training

The Hidden Cost of Leadership: Why Founders Crack | Matt Verlaque

18 Jun 2026 · 1 min

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In this excerpt, Matt Verlaque reflects on the intense, often invisible pressure that CEOs and founders experience. He explains that a leader’s ability to run a company effectively is directly tied to the livelihoods of their team, meaning that poor performance can cost others their jobs. This high‑stakes responsibility can erode mental health and lead to personal breakdowns. Verlaque emphasizes the importance of being surrounded by peers who truly understand these stakes—a community of fellow leaders who can collectively tackle problems, providing both validation and practical support.

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I feel as a CEO or as a founder, there's not a lot of people, not a lot of communities on this earth that can understand the pressure that comes with that role. It's a unique job in the sense of your ability to provide a living for the people on your team is directly correlated to your ability to be proficient in your own role. You can't run your company well, it costs other people their jobs, and maybe not you yours. That type of pressure, I mean, it messes with people. Being able to be in a room of A, people who understand like what the stakes are running these companies, and they're equally is motivated to go solve the problems. It's a magical room to be in.