Most business leaders are working at 20% battery, says CEO of top meditative app

Executives who are exhausted, distracted or emotionally depleted tend to take more sick days, struggle with absenteeism and experience higher turnover—problems that extend beyond the C‑suite. (AI-generated image)

CEO burnout may be far more widespread than it appears, according to David Ko, the chief executive of Calm, the world’s leading sleep and meditation app. Speaking at the Fortune Brainstorm AI conference, Ko said that although most top executives insist they are “doing good,” their internal reality tells a very different story.

Ko revealed findings from a Calm survey conducted among more than 250 C‑suite executives, beginning with the simple question: How are you doing? While most replied positively, deeper wellbeing data painted a stark picture. Nearly 48 percent said they felt overwhelmed, while a quarter reported experiencing anxiety or depression. Another 34 percent said they were mentally drained, and 40 percent admitted they struggled to be mentally present at work. According to Ko, half of the executives surveyed had even considered stepping down from their roles.

To make mental health easier to assess, Ko asked leaders to compare their energy levels to a phone battery. Only one in four respondents said their batteries felt “fully recharged.” He warned that “most leaders… are operating at about 20 percent,” calling it a serious concern for decision-making at the highest levels.

The hidden cost of CEO burnout

Ko said burnout among senior leaders has severe ripple effects across organisations. Executives who are exhausted, distracted or emotionally depleted tend to take more sick days, struggle with absenteeism and experience higher turnover—problems that extend beyond the C‑suite. Employees often mirror the emotional climate set by their managers, creating what HR experts describe as a “downward spiral” across teams.

Burnout is expensive, too. Research cited during the discussion found that burned-out workers can cost organisations thousands of dollars in lost productivity and recovery time, with the financial toll rising significantly for senior leadership roles, Fortune reported.

Mental health as a business priority

Ko argued that companies investing in mental health interventions—such as mindfulness tools and guided meditation—see measurable benefits, including improved engagement and reduced burnout.

“In a world being transformed by AI,” Ko said, “organisations are realising that our greatest assets aren’t just the technology. It’s the people behind them.”