Why You Need CEO Peers to Challenge Your Assumptions

As a CEO and business owner, I needed more perspective. I was stale. I felt isolated at the top.

Even worse, no one was challenging my assumptions. Advice was everywhere — and always had an agenda attached.

I knew this: what I was doing was not producing the growth I wanted.   Something had to change.

I Needed Someone to Question My Answers

I gathered with a dozen business owners — a CEO peer group. We met confidentially to share experiences and insights. We described our challenges and opportunities — and greatly benefited from each other’s agenda-free recommendations. We learned, as Daniel Joseph Boorstin said: “The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance. It is the illusion of knowledge.”

The results were substantial: my company became more professionally managed, process driven and — when I was ready — sellable.

This experience also improved my life beyond business. Held accountable by my peers, I allocated my time better. I stopped doing other people’s work. I was able to get home earlier. Life got better.

While we have members from Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan, our group meets monthly via Zoom and ASAP-Post Pandemic in a Chicago area location hosted by a member.  Those Vistage meetings take place in our members offices, city clubs or country clubs and occasionally at unique venues.

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