10 Attributes Of a Great CEO Peer Group Member
It’s no secret that CEOs of small and mid-sized businesses get a lot out of their peer advisory roundtable groups. Roundtables supply diverse perspectives in a confidential environment and are proven to deliver advantages in decision-making and leadership, especially during challenging times.
To ensure the roundtable performs at its greatest potential, I’ve found that those participants who receive the most from the process tend to share certain qualities.
They are, in no particular order:
- Intellectual curiosity. A desire to know what makes things work, the “back story”, answers to “why”, getting to the “root cause”.
- Life-long learner.
- Open to seeking the input of others, and willing to implement suggested solutions not your own.
- Committed to the process of continuous improvement. Not satisfied with the current state. Growth-oriented.
- Embrace change. An innovative spirit.
- Strategic thinker.
- Self-aware. A willingness to be vulnerable, to be transparent.
- Secure. No inherent need to be the smartest person in the room.
- Humble. More concerned about being able to give as much as you’re getting, as opposed to getting as much as you’re giving.
- Appreciate the power of diverse backgrounds, world views, perspectives, and experiences.
These attributes, in fact, define our members to a tee!
Is it necessary to have all of these attributes to maximize the benefit of peer group membership? No. Would it be helpful to have some of them? Definitely. More important is attitude, your approach to the process. We all get the same 24 hours per day. The only thing that we can control is how we utilize, leverage, and prioritize those 24 hours.
About the Author
Keith Hartman, Regional Executive for Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs), has over five years of experience developing and supporting peer-to-peer roundtables and forums for Vistage Worldwide, the international leader in peer advisory groups and personal leadership development for CEOs and senior leaders. He has experienced first-hand the transformational impact that the sharing of challenges, opportunities, and experiences with trusted peers in a confidential environment can have, and is looking forward to helping the Council expand this concept to all corners of the Commonwealth. Learn more about Keith.
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