CEO Peer Groups – The Who, What and Why

In working with CEOs and business owners daily, we get to see first-hand the difference a peer advisory group can make in a variety of areas. With business growth and profitability always top of mind, we like to share one peer group’s statistic showing their members growth surpassing that of D&B average by 15%. It is coming up more and more in our conversations and the first two questions we get are 1) What is a Peer Advisory Group and 2) Why should I join one.

Leo Battary says it best in his article 5 Reasons Peer Advisory Groups Work for CEOs, “When it comes to simultaneously working on your business and working on yourself, the peer advisory model has no peer.”

A few things to keep in mind when researching and selecting the right group for you:

1. Schedule – Consider the amount of time you would like to set aside each month to work on yourself and your business. There are half day or full day sessions.
2. Fit – How does your business and your personality fit with the group and your chair? Also consider what you have to offer the other members of the group.
3. Size – What is the size of the group in which you would be most comfortable sharing information?
4. Coaching – Is it important to you to receive one-on-one coaching with your Group chair?
5. Education – Is gaining knowledge and applying learning to improve your leadership and business practices important to you. If so, you should seek out peer groups who offer quality speakers and find out what topics they speak on, frequency of speakers and speaker formats (workshop versus seminar).

There are many wonderful options to choose from for CEO Peer Groups. The below are a few of our favorites:

• Convene – Christian CEO and Business Owner’s Group. Convene helps equip, inspire and connect Christian CEOs and Business Owners to excel in building better businesses, increasing leadership success, and having greater Kingdom impact.
• RenaissanceExecutive Forums – Brings together the top executives from non-competing companies of similar size, into an advisory board process through which thousands of leaders gain fresh ideas and new insights.
• VistageInternational – International executive coaching and peer advisory group. With over 15,000 members, Vistage provides unparalleled access to new business perspectives, innovative strategies and actionable ideas to chief executives and business leaders.
• YPO, YEO andWPO –National associations that focuses on the whole person in their role as business owner. They hold great events and universities around the world, as well as smaller forum groups. National network of executive officers offering enhancement through connections, events, education and idea exchange.