Why Projects Keep Dying at the CEO’s Desk — and How to Finally Get a YES

By Thea Brockmeyer — Executive Coach & Strategic Consultant

Why Most  Projects Fail at the CEO’s Desk

It’s 10:05 a.m. on a Tuesday. You’ve been waiting weeks for this meeting. The CEO is sitting at the head of the table, the CFO to his right, the COO scrolling on her phone. Your laptop is connected, the deck is loaded, and your heart is racing.

You click to the first slide of your new initiative — a leadership academy that could transform your company’s culture. You’ve worked evenings and weekends to polish the concept. You’ve even run a small pilot that went well.

And then… 12 minutes into your pitch, the CEO leans back, looks at the CFO, and says the words that crush you:

“This sounds interesting… but we don’t have the budget right now.”

You close your laptop, pack up your notes, and walk out with that sinking feeling in your stomach. Another good idea, dead at the CEO’s desk.

Sound familiar? I’ve been there too. And after 20+ years of coaching executives and HR leaders at Siemens, Bayer, McKinsey, Bain and beyond, I’ve learned a painful but liberating truth:

Your project doesn’t live or die based on how good the idea is. It lives or dies based on how you pitch it. 

What Does “CEO Buy-In” Mean?

Getting CEO buy-in just means your boss — or the person in charge — is really on your side.

Not just saying, “Sounds nice.” But actually saying, “Let’s make this happen.”

Here’s what that looks like in real life:

• They believe in your idea. They see why it matters.
• They connect it to business goals. It helps make or save money, or helps people work better.
• They give you support. That means budget, time, and a team to make it real.
• They talk about it. The CEO shares your project in meetings or company updates.
• They care about results. They ask, “How’s it going?” and check progress with you.

 

When you don’t have that kind of buy-in, your project can sound good — but it stays stuck on paper.

So your job isn’t just to pitch an idea. It’s to win real commitment from the person who can open every door for you.

 

How do you convince a CEO to say yes to your project?

Start by speaking their language. CEOs don’t want more work — they want results.

Show how your project helps the business grow, saves time, or protects profit. Lead with outcomes, not activities. Instead of saying, “We want to improve employee engagement,” say,

“This project will reduce turnover by 15% and save €250,000 in hiring costs.” That’s what gets attention.

How do you convince a CEO to say yes to your project?

• Start by speaking their language. CEOs don’t want more work — they want results.
• Show how your project helps the business grow, saves time, or protects profit.
• Lead with outcomes, not activities.

Instead of saying, “We want to improve employee engagement,” say, “This project will reduce turnover by 15% and save €250,000 in hiring costs.” That’s what gets attention.

 

What metrics do CFOs care about when approving a project?

CFOs look for proof — not passion.

They want to know: How much money will this project save or make?

What’s the ROI and how soon will we see it?

What’s the risk if we don’t do it?

How does it fit into this year’s budget and priorities? If you can answer those four questions clearly, you’re already speaking CFO language — and that makes your pitch ten times stronger.

  

The Lesson I Learned at 30,000 Feet”

As a consultant, I often flew with the CEO. On one of those flights, I thought I had the perfect opportunity. Sitting side by side for hours, I started pitching my idea for a year-long leadership program.

At first, the conversation felt smooth. But mid-flight, I realized something crucial: I was aiming at the wrong target. The CEO wasn’t the one who would actually unlock the money.

Right there, on that flight, I changed my strategy. Instead of pushing harder, I asked sharper questions:

Where is the money?

• Who is going to pay?

• Who needs to see the benefit?

CFO and the business unit directors who were under pressure to deliver $50M and $100M projects.

So instead of coming back alone with more slides, I brought the CFO and a BU leader into the room. The three of us went together to the CEO. And this time, I didn’t have to push. I just listened as they explained the risks, the missing skills, and the cost of not acting.

That changed everything. The CEO didn’t hear “an HR program” or “consulting spend.” He heard his CFO and BU leader framing it as a business-critical solution. My project was no longer seen as training hours — it became an investment in delivering multimillion-dollar results.

 

The 5 Fatal Mistakes That Kill Your Pitch

 

Before we jump in — a quick note:

When I say DISC and SCIL, don’t worry — these are just tools that help you understand how people think, decide, and communicate.

DISC is a simple model for communication styles:

• D = Direct, fast, results-driven
• I = Inspiring, enthusiastic, people-focused
• S = Supportive, steady, harmony-driven
• C = Careful, logical, detail-focused

SCIL is a method I use to look at how you show up  and resonate with people when you communicate:

• Sensus (emotional energy)
• Corpus (body language and presence)
• Intellectus (rational clarity and logic)
• Lingua (words, tone, and storytelling)

Together, they explain why two smart people can completely miss each other in a meeting. Now — let’s talk about the 5 mistakes that kill your pitch.

 

Mistake 1: Working in a Vacuum

When HR designs a project without linking it to a real business problem, the CEO only sees cost.

I once pitched a culture transformation project with a 60-slide deck. It looked amazing… until the CEO asked one simple question:

“So what does this solve in financial terms? What problem does this solve in numbers?”

I didn’t have the answer. ready Meeting over.

CEOs don’t buy programs. They buy solutions to business problems.

My Insight (DISC & SCIL)

I was speaking in my own “S” comfort zone — focusing on people, harmony, culture. But my CEO was a strong “D” type — direct, results-driven, ROI-focused.

In SCIL terms, I was heavy on Sensus (emotional impact) and Lingua (language), but zero Intellectus (business logic).

The mismatch killed the pitch before it even began.

What to do instead:

Before pitching, talk to Sales, IT, or Finance. Ask where they lose time or money. Then frame your project as a solution that impacts their metrics.

.

 

Mistake 2: Selling Past Experience Without Analysis

Another time, I copied a successful HR academy model from my last company. I thought, “If it worked there, it’ll work here.” Wrong.

“This here isn’t like in your last company,” the CEO said bluntly.

I learned the hard way that every organization has its own culture, priorities, and politics. What worked before doesn’t automatically work again.

 What to do instead:

Your CEO doesn’t want to hear what worked elsewhere. They want to hear what works here, now, in their business language.

My Insight (Stakeholder Alignment)

Today, I never walk into the CEO’s office without first interviewing key stakeholders — Sales directors, business unit leaders, IT, finance. They tell me their pain points in their own words.

Then, when I present, I don’t just say, “HR believes we need this.” I can say, “Sales told me they are losing €5M in revenue due to skill gaps.”

That shift changes everything — the CEO hears it as a business problem, not an HR wish list.

 

Mistake 3: Asking for “All the Best at Once” 

I’ll never forget the time I asked for a multi-million euro budget for a complete HR transformation.

The CFO’s face told me everything.

It wasn’t just “no.” It was “Are you out of your mind?”

Big asks feel risky. And in uncertain times, risky = dead. Now I always start with small pilots and quick wins. Show impact, prove ROI, and then scale.

 My Insight (DISC & Project Goals)

People with I energy (inspiring, optimistic) love bold visions. But CFOs are often C types — careful, detail-oriented, and risk-sensitive.

What to do instead:

Present your plan in phases that speak to both styles:

• Short-term:t 1 pilot project to prove impact
• Medium-term: expand to one department
• Long-term: full company rollout

This builds trust, reduces risk, and gives everyone  measurable outcomes. 

 

Mistake 4: Projects That Don’t “Shoot”

In 2023 r pitched an AI project that sounded great — and everyone smiled politely, but nothing moved forward?

That was me. I once proposed an AI learning hub to help employees explore ChatGPT and improve digital literacy.

Everyone liked the idea — but no one saw the urgency.

A few months later, I reframed the same concept into an AI client-proposal generator that reduced preparation time by 60% and saved €5M in lost productivity. Approved instantly.

My Insight (SCIL Performance)

The first time, I leaned too much on Body (Corpus) and Feeling (Sensus) — excitement, inspiration, and curiosity.

But I didn’t balance it with Logic (Intellectus) — a clear business case tied to revenue and efficiency.

What to do instead:

Always connect your AI ideas to the outcomes your company already values:

• Revenue growth — faster proposals, better conversion rates.
• Cost reduction — less manual work, more automation.
• Risk management — consistent messaging and fewer errors.
• Talent retention — freeing experts from repetitive tasks.

The same AI idea, framed with numbers and logic, can turn a “nice innovation project” into a “must-fund business upgrade.

 

 

Mistake 5:Talking Too Fast to Build Real Trust

 I once pitched an investor at a conference, full of confidence and drive.

As a high-D personality — fast, focused, and goal-oriented — I went straight for the win. But my words raced ahead of connection.

By the end, he nodded politely and said,

“Interesting — let’s talk later.”

My Insight (DISC & SCIL)

High-D communicators love speed and results, but trust isn’t built that way. When you talk too fast or dominate the space, others feel rushed instead of inspired.

What to do instead:

Balance your message across SCIL: Logic (Intellectus):

Start with one strong result — “This cut project time by 30%.”

Words (Lingua): Be clear and brief — no jargon.

Body (Corpus): Breathe, pause, and let silence work for you.

Feeling (Sensus): Add warmth — interest in them, not just your idea.

When Logic, Words, Body, and Feeling work together, your pitch slows down just enough for trust to catch up — and that’s when people say “yes.”

 

Now I coach leaders to balance their SCIL profile:

• Intellectus (facts, ROI)
• Lingua (clear message)
• Corpus (confident delivery)
• Sensus (a touch of emotion)

That balance builds measurable trust.

 

The PITCH Method: A Framework for Leaders

After years of trial and error, I built a simple method that has changed everything: PITCH.

• P – Problem First: Diagnose before proposing.
• I – Insights: Adapt ideas to this company.
• T – Test: Pilot and quick wins.
• C – Communicate: Use CEO language (ROI, risk, growth).
• H – Hold Credibility: Deliver with clarity and confidence.

 

Why the CEO’s “Yes” Is Not Enough

One of my biggest failures came when I convinced the CEO — but lost the CFO. He had already decided “no” before I walked into the room. Another time, I won both CEO and CFO, but line managers sabotaged the rollout.

Projects don’t fail because of the CEO. They fail because of stakeholders.

 

My Insight (Stakeholder Alignment & Project Goals)

I’ve seen brilliant HR projects collapse because stakeholders weren’t aligned on goals. Sales wanted revenue impact. Finance wanted cost reduction. Line managers wanted less admin work.

If you don’t align those goals upfront, your project will die in “death by a thousand cuts.”

That’s why I now teach HR leaders to use a Stakeholder Alignment Map:

1. Identify all players (using RACI or power/interest matrix).
2. Map their goals against the project outcomes.
3. Adapt the pitch so each person sees their win inside your initiative.

Why I’m Sharing This

I wrote this because I wish someone had told me these lessons 20 years ago. That’s why I created a free guide:

How to Finally Get CEO Buy-In for Your  Projects

 

It’s short, practical, and filled with the exact tables, checklists, and insights I use with my clients at Siemens, McKinsey, and Bain. Download it here and start turning your “No’s” into “Yes’s.”

Next Steps

1. Step 1: Download the guide
2. Step 2: Score yourself on the PITCH self-assessment.
3. Step 3: Rewrite one project idea using the method.
4. Step 4: Watch what happens in your next CEO conversation.

And when you’re ready for the deeper game — stakeholder influence and trust positioning — I’d love to see you in my training or 1:1 coaching.

 

Final Thoughts: From No Budget to CEO Buy-In

Every failure I had taught me something valuable. Every “no” sharpened my skills. Today, those same skills help HR leaders around the world get budgets, credibility, and impact.

Your ideas deserve to live. Your projects deserve to get funded. And your career deserves to grow.

The only question is: Are you ready to PITCH?

 Download the Free Guide here