Heart of CEO Leadership Development
July 30, 2019
The Heart of CEO Leadership Development: Stimulating Creativity in People
At the heart of Vistage CEO leadership development is issue processing. The issue spectrum ranges from solving problems and challenges, to uncovering opportunities. There are three key aspects of making issue processing successful members with 12-16 CEOs and business owners.
The first key to success is the facilitation by the Vistage Chair. Vistage Chairs are the conductors of the room, creating the optimal space for learning and insights to be generated. Sometimes it is a gentle tap on the shoulder, other times it is a hammer on the head. Allowing CEOs the opportunity to practice leadership is a competitive advantage.
A critical process for uncovering the real issue is the second key to success. During the one to one coaching sessions, the Vistage Chair brings a critical process to the member to help uncover the most impactful issue. During the advisory board, the members follow a similar process for tackling the issue. Therefore, all members practice a common process for uncovering and processing issues.
Lastly, the practice of curiosity inquiry is where the magic takes place for the member asking the question and the member that has to answer. The ability of leaders to ask impactful and inspiring questions is crucial to leading people. One day a month, our members are given the opportunity to practice the art of stimulating creativity in others and not solving issues personally.
Our Vistage CEO board has tackled intimate personal issues and impactful strategic opportunities. See a list of some of our issues here.
CEO Help: A Sampling of Challenges and Opportunities Tackled by Vistage CEO Peer Group
Vistage CEO peer groups are the CEO help line. Vistage CEO members are continually surprised each month by the type of issues brought to the table. It is comforting for the members to know that they have a place to go for anything that is consuming their hours, emotions, relationships or dollars. To be a better leader, CEOs have to work on all aspects of their life.
For over 60-years, Vistage has helped business executives hone their leadership. Here are a few examples of the issues our Charleston group has tackled.
Death of a family member
Substance abuse
Buying out an underperforming partner
Negotiating compensation for upcoming exit
Strategic acquisition advantages and disadvantages
Improving relationship with spouse
Improving health by losing weight
How to have difficult conversation with family member in business
Managing expectations of board of directors
Terminating long time member of leadership team
Improving relationship with business partners
Creating leadership development for sales team
Optimizing business for exit
Scaling new product line nationally
Handling situation with equity partner that backs out of project
Balancing time while expanding new locations
Building leadership team
Selling out to partners
Working with family member that is not living the values of the business
Dealing with conflict
Preparing for spending one year in New Zealand with family
Preparing for +$50 million exit and what’s next
Are you interested in assessing your leadership? Rank yourself on the 7 key skills of successful business leadership by taking the leadership skills assessment.
I need help running my business: Vistage CEO peer group for fostering growth and discovery to improve as leaders.
Even the best of CEOs wake in the middle of the night thinking “I need help running my business.”Imagine practicing leadership on other CEOs, business owners and executives. Imagine a confidential space where you are forced to work on the business strategically. One day, every month, members of our Vistage group learn how to be better leaders by processing impactful issues to solve problems or uncover opportunities.
Consequently, everything is on the table when members agree to our core values of Vulnerable Openness, Challenging Curiosity and Transparent Accountability. Practicing vulnerable openness makes us better leaders by creating relationships built on trust, intimacy and lack of judgement. By stimulating challenging curiosity that is egoless, carefrontational, and authentic, we make better decisions. Lastly, we tie it all together with transparent accountability.
In addition to the confidential peer advisory board, Vistage members engage in leadership coaching with the Vistage Chair, learn from world-class speakers, and participate in global specialized networks. The Vistage leadership development experience creates a ripe environment for us to achieve our core purpose to create a trusting environment that fosters growth and discovery, to improve as leaders in our businesses, families, and communities.
Want to learn more about our Vistage members and upcoming speaker workshop schedule? Check out our events page here.
