Even a basic project manager faces dozens of distractions everyday, criticism dissenting team members, dissenting supervisor managers, saboteurs with in team and group, competitors, customers who make extreme demands.
yes, person who cant withstand distractions and keep his vision intact move himself and drive the company is not suitable for CEO role.
Some research and new product develop team is right place for him, - person probably failed to reinvent himself fro his new role from CTO -CEO and still fails to realize the board has indirectly sabotaged him..