You must have heard of the phrase, 'It is lonely at the top'. Well, this phrase holds so true for CEOs and other top ranking people of an organization. When you own a business it is highly unlikely that you will share your fears or challenges in front of your employees. And even if you do so, it is unlikely that your employees will provide you with genuine suggestions. This leads to frustration where you desperately search for guidance over your business strategies and decision making process.
Due to the lack of support, an increasing number of CEOs, COOs, managing directors and other top level people are now turning to CEO peer groups to show them the right path. Over the years the popularity of CEO peer groups in Atlanta and other cities in the USA has increased manifold.
You may ask, what is a CEO peer group? A CEO peer group is a consulting group which consists of CEOs, COOs, Presidents, General Managers, Managing Directors, and Business Owners who come together to listen to each others' problems and offer solutions. It is a think-tank environment where highly experienced people from different industries share their everyday challenges, frustrations, ideas and problems and counsel each other. Whether you are planning to expand your business or thinking of selling your business, a CEO peer group will give you useful advice, consultation and tips on how best you can expand your business or think of exit planning. Lets discuss some of the major benefits of becoming member of a CEO peer group:
Benefit # 1: Access to professionals with rich experience
A CEO Conference is a platform where you get to meet CEOs of different companies with vast experience and learn from them. You can share your ideas and ask for their honestly brutal opinions about your business strategies. It is likely that the problems you are facing in your company now may have been faced by CEOs of other companies. You can learn from them on how they overcame the obstacles and thus avoid making mistakes they may have committed. This is the kind of environment which you won't find anywhere else.
Benefit # 2: Strong support network
A CEO group acts like a strong support system which you are unlikely to get in your organization. Here you can open heartedly share your ideas without the fear of being mocked at and can expect straight-forward, no-frills-attached opinions from other peers who have no reason for being dishonest, no agenda and no need to be a "yes man".
Benefit # 3: Give and take
It is a give and take kind of environment where each CEO or COO present in the group is willing to give their suggestions and in return receive solutions of their problems as well.CEO peer groups is open only to those who are willing to help other group members as well as open to accepting advice and ideas. Therefore you can be assured that when you discuss your problem no matter how big or small it is, there will be people who will generously offer their advice.
Benefit # 4: Cheaper than Counselors
It is way cheaper to join CEO peer groups than taking the help of counselors who charge exorbitant prices for a few hours of counseling. For instance, you can become a member of Atlanta based CEO group which meets once in a month and allows members to openly discuss problems and offer practical solutions.
Considering all these above mentioned benefits, it makes sense to join a CEO peer group as early as possible for achieving your dreams. There are various CEO Peer groups in Atlanta and other cities all over the USA which offer professional guidance. Search on the net and become a member of a CEO group close to your location.
Tom Bordon is a freelance writer who has extensively written about CEO peer groups in Atlanta and executive business coaching. His articles focus on guiding CEOs, COOs and top level executives in making new business strategies, selling a business and exit planning.