Expose leadership illusions. Build businesses that survive reality

The CEO Mirage - Seeing Through the Illusions of Leadership

John B. Gearing delivers a brutal reality check for CEOs, founders, and leaders who want to face the truth and win.

The CEO Mirage - Seeing Through the Illusions of Leadership

John B. Gearing delivers a brutal reality check for CEOs, founders, and leaders who want to face the truth and win.

About the Author

John B Gearing is an advisor, author, and former CEO who has led and invested in consumer, sports, and lifestyle businesses across Europe, APAC, and the Middle East.

He has held senior leadership roles at Adidas, VF Corporation, and Kontoor Brands, and more recently served as CEO of a private equity-backed fitness platform in the UAE. Through his advisory work, he supports founders, boards, and investors on strategy, growth, and capital decisions.

Earlier in his career, he served as a police tactical unit platoon commander, a background that continues to shape his direct, practical, execution-led approach to leadership.

His writing on leadership and business has appeared in Entrepreneur UK and other international business publications. He is the author of The CEO Mirage, published in 2026.

He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.

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Who Should Read The CEO Mirage

The CEO Mirage is for founders, CEOs, and investors who need to cut through leadership illusions and focus on what truly drives results. It reveals the traps that quietly kill companies—like over-optimism, loyalty over competence, and the myth that growth fixes everything—while providing clear metrics, financial discipline, and practical tools such as a CEO self-audit, a 13-week cash flow rhythm, and a proven meeting cadence you can use right away.

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About the Book – The CEO Mirage

Leading a business—or just managing the illusion of success?

In today’s high-pressure business world, CEOs and founders are often celebrated for vision, charisma, and bold strategies. But behind the spotlight, many leaders fall victim to illusions—false beliefs about growth, culture, and control that ultimately bring companies down. The CEO Mirage strips away these illusions and exposes the leadership traps that undermine even the most talented executives.

Drawing on over twenty-five years of experience across global sports, retail, startups, and private equity, John B. Gearing delivers a brutally honest assessment of modern leadership. From boardroom politics to founder myths, he reveals how ego, optimism, and misplaced confidence can create the illusion of success—while quietly eroding the foundation of the business.

CEO Mirage

The CEO Mirage - Seeing Through the Illusions of Leadership

The CEO Mirage - Seeing Through the Illusions of Leadership

A Practical Guide for Founders, CEOs, and Investors.

About the Author

Who Should Read The CEO Mirage

What You’ll Learn Inside!

See Beyond Illusions

See Beyond Illusions

See Beyond Illusions

Lead with Clarity

See Beyond Illusions

See Beyond Illusions

Execute Relentlessly

See Beyond Illusions

Execute Relentlessly

Grow with Courage

See Beyond Illusions

Execute Relentlessly

About the Book – The CEO Mirage

Discover Proven Leadership Without Illusions.

Recommendations for the Book

The CEO Mirage - Seeing Through the Illusions of Leadership

The CEO Mirage - Seeing Through the Illusions of Leadership

A Practical Guide for Founders, CEOs, and Investors.

About the Author

Who Should Read The CEO Mirage

What You’ll Learn Inside!

See Beyond Illusions

See Beyond Illusions

See Beyond Illusions

Lead with Clarity

See Beyond Illusions

See Beyond Illusions

Execute Relentlessly

See Beyond Illusions

Execute Relentlessly

Grow with Courage

See Beyond Illusions

Execute Relentlessly

About the Book – The CEO Mirage

Discover Proven Leadership Without Illusions.

Recommendations for the Book

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