How a Highly Successful CEO Can Spiral from Peak Performance to Personal Crisis

In 1996, Gordon Lownds was at the pinnacle of success. He had co-founded Sleep Country Canada, a highly successful retail business that would become a household name. But behind the scenes, he was spiraling into a life-threatening crack cocaine addiction that would cost him nearly three years of his life and over $700,000.

This is not just a story about drugs. It’s a wake-up call for every high-performing CEO and executive who believes they can outrun their demons with success.

Lownds described himself as a high-functioning addict. His team and investors had no idea what he was dealing with. He continued to lead the business, and even launched a second one, Listen Up! Canada, while navigating recovery.

The truth is: you can lead a thriving company and still be falling apart inside. I’ve seen it with CEOs and executives who operate at the highest levels—sometimes I’ve only caught it right before they crashed.

That’s why I wrote Your Oxygen Mask First. Because the best strategy, the most talented team, or the biggest market doesn’t matter if the person at the top is secretly drowning.

You don’t need to hit rock bottom to change. You just need to recognize when the pressure is silently crushing you, when you’re using business success to avoid dealing with your emotional junk, and when you’re slipping into habits that soothe stress but sacrifice your health, clarity, or integrity.

Lownds’ Story Highlights a Brutal Truth

Success doesn’t protect you from self-destruction. It often hides it.

If you’re reading this and something feels uncomfortably familiar—pay attention. The time to act is now, not when you’re arrested or overdose like Lownds did. I always recommend working with a counsellor or psychologist to unpack the behaviours driving your stress or avoidance.

Challenge

Are you putting your oxygen mask on first? Or are you a few decisions away from your own spiral? If you are in crisis, contact your local mental health hotline, your doctor, or another trusted professional for immediate support.

Resources

• Chapter 6 – Your Oxygen Mask First: Deal with Your Emotional Junk
• Mental Health Hotline
• Complete the Resilience Self-Assessment
• Watch the Resilience Webinar
• Reflect on David Greer’s Sobriety Story 

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We help high-achieving leaders to have it all – a great business and a rewarding life. Contact us for simple and impactful advice. No BS. No fluff.