When I joined Turborilla, home of the Mad Skills franchise, I stepped into the role with years of leadership under my belt, but never as a CEO. I thought I had a pretty good handle on what to expect. I was wrong. 

The difference between being an “exec” and THE exec is another world. It’s a role that tests your vision, your priorities, and your humanity, often all at once, and you have to sometimes zoom out, and apply a different thought process or logic to your decisions for the greater good.

As someone who cares deeply about people and their growth, I’ve been both humbled and energised by the experience so far and as my good friend and co-founder of Luna Labs, Adam Stevens, told me often, “leadership is a responsibility, not a reward”, and reminding myself of that often keeps me grounded.

Here are the top five things that surprised me most about becoming a CEO:

1. Everything You Say Has Added Meaning

As a CEO, your words carry weight. But what surprised me more was how much your energy, your reactions, even your silence, gets noticed. A small comment in a meeting can ripple far wider than you intend. What feels like an offhand observation to you may feel like a strategic direction to someone else.

This has made me more intentional. Not just about what I say, but how I show up. Authenticity matters, but so does awareness.

I recently had an employee at Turborilla message me to say she appreciated me apologising for a mistake I made, essentially I thought we could get something done sooner than later and because of that I had to delay a meeting about it for a week. Again, a pretty trivial and common situation but because I wrote an acknowledgment to the situation and apologised to the team, my “humility” was felt, and an authenticity as a new CEO was achieved. The “we’re in it together” approach was felt and it brought me closer to the team. 

2. You Become the Chief Emotional Officer (Whether You Want To or Not)

People come to you not just with strategy questions or business updates, they come to you with hopes, fears, aspirations. I underestimated how much emotional labor is part of the job. That’s not a complaint. In fact, it’s one of the most meaningful parts of the role for me.

But it takes real effort to stay present and open, especially when your calendar is full and the pressure is on. Being an empathetic leader isn’t just about being kind. It’s about making space, mentally and emotionally, for the people who trust you with their work and their growth.

As every person is unique, as to your approach to your team members, how you deal with things should be tailored to their personality but also their role and seniority, a one glove fits all approach will just leave your team feeling unheard and unappreciated.

3. Time Becomes Your Most Precious Currency

You don’t realise how fast your schedule fills up until you sit in the CEO chair. Everyone needs your input, and everything feels important. But not everything is equally important. I’ve had to become ruthless, not in cutting people off, but in prioritising where I invest my time.

That means creating real focus for myself and for the organisation. It’s taught me that clarity is a gift you give your team and something that in turn takes time in your day. Understanding when to hand things over and what meetings you need to attend versus those you don’t is much more important than you initially thought. The balance between being “present” and just “attending” is something that all of us need to work on professionally.

4. You’re Not the Smartest Person in the Room, and That’s the Point

As a first-time CEO, one of my biggest lessons has been embracing the fact that I shouldn’t have all the answers. If I did, we’d be in trouble.

I’ve learned to lean on our incredibly talented team and to start building a culture where great ideas can come from anywhere. That requires humility and trust. It also means celebrating people not just for their execution, but for their initiative and insights.

Luckily for me I’ve had a pretty robust career, owning many gaming disciplines, but things like finance and legal are even more important and knowing those are key to the success of your business, maybe my accountancy background helps somewhat but it still means I have to rely on others pretty regularly.

5. The Vision You Set Isn’t Just Strategic, It’s Personal

People want to know where we’re going, but more importantly, they want to know why it matters. And they want to know that their work, their role, their path is part of that story and what they do matters.

I’ve been surprised by how personal a company’s vision can be, not just to me, but to everyone. It’s not just about market opportunities. It’s about meaning, purpose, belonging. My job is to connect the dots, and keep that fire alive. The CEO also needs to be chief “motivation” officer, as well as everything else.

Being a CEO isn’t a destination, it’s a journey of becoming. It’s pushed me to grow faster, listen deeper, and lead with more heart than I thought possible. I've still got a long way to go in perfecting this part of my professional journey and I am enjoying the challenge every day.

And honestly? I wouldn’t trade it for anything.