Case Study: The CEO Suffered a Breakdown. Now What?
Summary.
Alex Reinhardt was brought in to turn around a renewable-energy company that had been on the verge of bankruptcy until the German government bailed it out. After he fainted from overwork and burnout and had to take a medical leave, the board appointed an interim CEO. Now Reinhardt insists that he’s ready to return, and the board must decide whether to retain or replace him.Klaus Engelhardt, the chairman of Kraftwerke Grün, hunched over his smartphone in the parking lot of the Berliner Hof club, attempting to shield the screen from the glare. He was still in his tennis clothes, and the cool early-spring air was beginning to make him shiver. Just the day before, Kraftwerke Grün’s CEO, Alex Reinhardt, had left the office after stumbling and banging his head on his desk, and Klaus had been anxiously awaiting an update. He’d just received a text message from Alex’s wife: “Klaus, this is Gina. Alex fainted yesterday. That’s why he fell and injured himself. He’s been undergoing tests for the past 24 hours. The diagnosis is dehydration and exhaustion. We’re relieved it isn’t more serious, but we’re concerned for Alex’s mental health.1 The doctors have recommended that he take a leave of absence.”