The Four Faces of the CEO

In an age when flight was fantasy, Leonardo da Vinci sketched designs for a precursor to the helicopter. He conceived the idea for a parachute. In his notebooks, he envisioned the future of robotics. The inventor was centuries ahead of his time, a true Renaissance figure—an artist, engineer, and even a self-taught musician. Yet, Leonardo never saw his boldest ideas come to life. They didn’t lack genius. They exceeded the resources, testing, and understanding of the times, preventing him from carrying out those visions.

Today’s CEOs confront a similar challenge. They must be futurists—dreaming beyond the present—but at the same time orchestrators, guiding others to transform vision into reality.

Consider what might be possible if a leader who’s playing the role of both planner and orchestrator exists in the same person? This is among the many questions we’ve posed to modern chief executives about the value of simultaneously seeing the future and building it.

At Deloitte, we’ve spent thousands of hours with hundreds of CEOs, particularly in our Transition Labs, exploring how leaders manage their diverse responsibilities— and ultimately their time. As the external environment becomes increasingly complex, a premium is placed on how CEOs spend their time in order to signal their top priorities to their team, the board, and investors, ultimately unlocking value for the organization.

Resisting the downward pull

The CEO’s job is often described as “living in the future,” but that’s only possible if they are intentional about how they spend their time in the present. Vincent Firth, a managing director at Deloitte Consulting LLP and co-leader of Deloitte US’s Chief Executive Program, notes, “While many excel in operational performance and compliance before getting to the CEO role, the transition to the chief executive role demands a shift toward strategic thinking and visionary leadership.” This shift isn’t intuitive, and it doesn’t happen by chance.

The demands of the moment can pull top leaders away from strategic, future-oriented activities. Success requires learning to resist the pull of the day-to-day execution—instead empowering one’s teams to manage the day to day.

“We’ve seen that the most successful CEOs do what only they can do, and empower their executive teams to handle the rest,” says Benjamin Finzi, Deloitte Global’s CEO Program leader. “If they don’t, not only do they have less time to focus on their priorities, but they’re also encroaching on the jobs of others. As a consequence, they are either purposely or inadvertently indicating they don’t think that team member is up to the job.” To make the shift real—and sustainable—we use the Four Faces of the CEO as a tool to help leaders clarify where they are and where they may need to grow.

The Four Faces Framework

This framework isn’t about doing more, it’s about deciding where to lead and where to empower. CEOs who regularly audit their time through this lens can gain clearer insight into how well they’re fulfilling their role and how effectively they’re enabling others.

Think of the Four Faces as a diagnostic: Which face are you showing most often? Which one needs more attention? The Strategist sets the direction and identifies the strategies to position the organization for long-term value. The Catalyst shapes the culture to meet growth objectives and realize the vision and strategy, enabling the necessary transformation; it also includes creating values based on the enduring culture. Meanwhile, the Operator delivers on day-to-day execution and core performance commitments. The Steward preserves the organization’s assets by managing uncertainty while communicating performance to stakeholders.

Evolving from ‘doer’ to orchestrator

The transition to the CEO role is not simply a shift toward delegating operational tasks; it is an intentional shift toward empowering and orchestrating. Many first-time CEOs typically underestimate how much their role must change.

Imagine a line between the two faces at the top of the diagram and the two at the bottom. As Finzi puts it, organizations naturally pull leaders downward, toward operations, but the CEO must deliberately operate “above the line” in the space of vision and transformation.

Crises can create a gravitational pull toward reactive leadership. Rather than abandoning strategy for short-term problem-solving, CEOs who thrive double down on vision and transformation. According to Deloitte’s Spring 2025 CEO Survey, CEOs reported that adaptability and agility are essential leadership traits in order to navigate the next five years. These leaders inspire confidence and foster innovation by maintaining a steady, future-oriented perspective.

Strategists set that direction. Catalysts drive it forward, especially when uncertainty demands adaptation.

To make this work, CEOs must also learn the art of intentional delegation. That means letting go—not just of tasks, but of control—so that a culture of ownership and collaboration can flourish.

Then comes the real challenge: leading with vision while delivering results. This is where all four elements of the framework come together. CEOs must chart a bold course while mobilizing their teams, resources, and energy to bring that vision to life, especially in volatile environments.

Great CEOs don’t just chase quarterly growth; they build companies that last. That means grounding strategy in sustainability, stakeholder trust, and long-term resilience. It means seeing corporate responsibility not as a constraint, but as a source of competitive advantage.

Impactful leadership: Succeeding as a Catalyst—and a Strategist

In our labs with CEOs, we emphasize the importance of focusing on what only the CEO can do: encouraging them to embrace their roles and enhance their strategic focus for long-term success.

Participants often leave our labs with a better understanding of the diversified nature of the CEO’s role. Boards want candidates with proven strategic capabilities, and leaders who don’t simply discuss strategy but also deliver.

The evolution of the role isn’t instantaneous or a linear experience. It takes structured support and a willingness to unlearn what made you successful in earlier roles, while still ensuring operational performance and stewardship are maintained. It also requires a high performing leadership team and an effective organizational structure equipped and capable to manage the day-to-day. For those ready to lead from above the line, the rewards—for the organization and themselves—can be transformational.

Leonardo’s notebooks are known to be filled with actionable ideas. The modern CEO has to be the orchestrator of such a vision—generating the ideas while also bringing plans to life with precision and purpose.