Joe Galvin January 14, 2026 Often, heightened optimism gives way to a phase of adjustment as expectations meet reality. One year ago, CEO confidence surged as post-election optimism fueled expectations of pro-business policies, easing inflation, and lower borrowing costs. That enthusiasm faded quickly. Shifting trade policy, rising costs, and uneven demand made planning difficult, sharply lowering confidence in early 2025 before it gradually stabilized. That context matters a

Joe Galvin November 3, 2025 “Only time will tell” is a time-honored truth. No strategy instantly comes to life at its announcement; it takes time for the initiatives to take hold and begin to have an impact. Leaders have a vision and extol the greatness of things to come, promising a brighter tomorrow, given time. However, it requires patience to see that vision come into reality, especially in uncertain times. CEO Confidence Rises, Remains Below Last Year The Q3 2025 Vistage

Joe Galvin July 2, 2025 Depending on the source, the U.S. economy is either booming or on the brink of collapse. As always, reality lies somewhere in between. During the rising tide decade of the 2010s, the Vistage CEO Confidence Index averaged 97.8, buoyed by strong growth and low interest rates. That momentum hit a wall with the pandemic. Confidence cratered to 65.5 in Q2 2020, the second-lowest in the Index’s 22-year history, as businesses struggled through shutdowns and s

Joe Galvin April 7, 2025 Uncertainty rules, much like it did through the recovery phase of a post-pandemic economy. The hopes and beliefs following the election for a pro-business tax and regulatory environment, along with stabilized inflation and interest rates and increased business activity, have been replaced by mounting concerns about economic instability. With this uncertainty comes a reversal in post-election optimism, as the Vistage CEO Confidence Index fell 22.1 poin

Joe Galvin January 15, 2025 Heading into 2025, CEO confidence is optimistic on all fronts. The Vistage CEO Confidence Index soared 15.7...

Joe Galvin October 16, 2024 The latest Vistage CEO Confidence Index shows a slight improvement in CEO sentiment compared to last quarter,...

Joe Galvin July 16, 2024 “It’s not swimming, but it’s not drowning.” While that phrase describes a 4-year-old in a pool, it can also be...

By: Joe Galvin April 15, 2024 Athletes recovering from serious injuries go through rigorous rehab just to get back to minimum performance...

By: Joe Galvin January 16, 2024 Waiting to take off can be one of the most frustrating aspects of air travel. Sitting on the tarmac as...

Throughout our 65-year history, we've dedicated ourselves to making sure that business leaders have everything they need to make great...

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By: Joe Galvin October 11, 2023 “Are we there yet?” is both the refrain of small children on long car trips — and CEOs looking for the...

Stay cool this summer - AND in those times when Crisis bangs up against your busy! Deal with it by NOT choosing Chaos. Shout out to...

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By: Joe Galvin July 11, 2023 Pilots will tell you that any landing you walk away from is a good landing, it’s just that some are smoother...

By: Joe Galvin April 13, 2023 When approaching a tight corner at high speed, a race car driver will downshift, leveraging both the brakes...

A true satisfaction is to live in that moment as if there was never an expectation for more...

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By: Vistage Staff December 14, 2022 Leaders have to stay on top of trends and how they affect their business in order to stay...

By: Joe Galvin January 5, 2023 In the golden age of sailing, mariners knew that the area near the equator where the trade winds shifted...

By: Joe Galvin October 5, 2022 The temperature in Phoenix might be “down” to 95 degrees — theoretically good news as it may be cooler...

By: Joe Galvin June 29, 2022 It’s hard to think of the COVID-19 pandemic as “the good old days,” but from a purely economic standpoint,...

By: Joe Galvin April 4, 2022 The crystal ball for 2022 is now as opaque as a bowling ball. In just 90 days since the Q4 CEO Confidence...

By Joe Galvin January 12, 2022 The anticipated surge and unexpected spikes of 2021 have left CEOs unsure about the economy and...

By: Vistage Staff December 9, 2021 Savvy CEOs understand that business can change as trends become norm rather than the exception. They...

By: Joe Galvin October 18, 2021 It took over 80 years for the Industrial Revolution to transform economies through innovations in...

By: Joe Galvin September 29, 2021 Strike a match and it flames brilliantly, then settles into a steadier flame. That metaphor best...

Joe Galvin June 30, 2021 Beyond the expected economic recovery, the optimism of small and midsize business CEOs is now surging with the...

By: Joe Galvin March 24, 2021 The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter for small and midsize businesses. Fueled by...

Joe Galvin February 24, 2021 No one saw the pandemic coming. Just one year ago, the spread of COVID-19 brought the economy to its knees...

Joe Galvin January 13, 2021 “Hold please” is one of the most frustrating things you can hear when trying to resolve a problem. After...

By: Vistage Staff December 28, 2020 CEOs who led their companies through 2020 will look back on this time and remember their toughest...

By Anne Petrik December 7, 2020 After climbing for six consecutive months, the WSJ/Vistage Small Business CEO Confidence Index declined...

Anne Petrick November 16, 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic brought a radical change to the business world: Corporate offices emptied out, and...

Marc Emmer November 3, 2020 Truth can be found in the numbers, as they say. For CEOs leading their companies out of the pandemic, the...

Sam Reese September 30, 2020 In the face of our new reality, many businesses remain closed or operate under restrictions. Business CEOs...

Sam Reese October 27, 2020 Almost nothing is easy right now. These times demand resilience. To be resilient in today’s workplace is to...

Joe Galvin October 22, 2020 When COVID-19 triggered an economic freefall, small and midsize businesses (SMBs) were among the first to...

Joe Galvin October 15, 2020 Even the most successful CEOs and business leaders say that somewhere along the way, they had a mentor who...

Confidence Rebounds Signs of life in the economy and an increase of business activity has led to an increase in confidence of small and...

Analysis of the latest survey of CEOs has found that optimism of small & midsize business leaders has regained some losses recorded mid-year

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