The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett

The Diary of a CEO dismantles the polished myths of success and replaces them with uncomfortable truths learned through failure, pressure, and self-doubt. Steven Bartlett writes with radical honesty, drawing from his rise as a young entrepreneur to explore the emotional cost of ambition. Rather than offering motivational clichés, the book presents hard-earned lessons about discipline, self-belief, consistency, and resilience.

Bartlett structures the book around core principles — self-mastery, accountability, identity, and long-term thinking — revealing how internal habits shape external outcomes. He confronts insecurity, imposter syndrome, and burnout head-on, arguing that success is built as much on emotional intelligence as strategy.

The result is a raw, introspective guide that resonates with entrepreneurs, creatives, and anyone navigating pressure-heavy goals. It’s less about becoming a CEO, and more about becoming mentally equipped to handle responsibility, failure, and growth.