The company hits a moment when a decision is needed now — a headcount, a resource, an additional role, a person without whom the process will stop.
You did your part: took the direction, hired a specialist, started bringing order. But at the point where the system needs reinforcement, the CEO simply vanishes. Not "no." Not "yes." Silence.
This isn't about the headcount. It's about the role the leader can't hold.
The Avoidant CEO Loop
The avoiding leader lives by this logic: "If I don't answer — the decision doesn't exist." → "Answer = commitment." → "Commitment = risk." → "Risk = responsibility I'm afraid to hold."
Critical gap exists → You fix it, create manageability → System comes alive → You see it's a Single Point of Failure → You come for reinforcement → CEO dissolves → Every day of silence increases cost and probability of chaos.
The Symptom
The company moves only while someone below pulls responsibility from above. And that won't last. When the leader vanishes at the moment of choice — the system stops being a system.
This signal isn't about the headcount. It's about management maturity.