3 Tips for Making the Best of CEO Roundtable Groups

Being a CEO puts you in a unique position within your company. While most of your coworkers have peers to seek out for guidance, advice, and relatability, there are few people who understand your experiences or have the knowledge to offer workable advice. That can lead to feelings of isolation, leaving you to solve difficult problems on your own. A better solution, though, would be to seek out wisdom and experience from those outside of your company.  CEO roundtable groups were designed to create a network of peers who come together regularly to strategize, collaborate, and acknowledge the triumphs and tribulations that come along with being in your position. Through candid discussions and a certain level of vulnerability, these peer groups create a safe space to discuss tough topics. 

Once you’ve decided to participate, it can be a little overwhelming to think of the right way to participate. What if you under- or overshare? What if your problems are too specific to your company? What if your peers are judgemental instead of helpful? Let us alleviate some of that anxiety with 3 tips on making the best of your CEO roundtable groups. 

Be Optimistic from the Beginning

If you are dreading your first roundtable before you even walk in the door, it’s very likely that you’re going to create a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. While anxiety is hard to talk down, allowing it to put a damper on the peer group experience will only feed into negativity. 

Instead, approach the situation with a growth mindset. Recognize that all new situations feel scary at first, and that no one in the room has been doing peer groups their whole lives. Everyone was new to the table, once, and they’re still around to learn from each other. If it helps, stay quiet with the intent to observe and understand until you’re more comfortable actively participating. Just don’t wait too long to jump in… You also have valuable experiences for others to learn from. 

Seek to Teach and to Learn

CEOs have to be lifelong learners. Even veterans of the industry, who seem to know just about everything there is to know about running a company, sustain their success by constantly seeking out opportunities to learn something new. They are also willing to share their own experiences without doing so with a sense of bravado or one-upmanship. 

Even if you are not a veteran CEO, there is much that you have to offer. During discussions of problems that you have experienced, your unique perspective and strategies are going to help one of your peers create their own solutions. For those problems that you have not experienced yet, CEO roundtable groups help you become more proactive, giving you the opportunity to notice and contend with issues before they become unwieldy.

Think of CEO Roundtable Groups as an Investment

CEOs are busy people. Between running a company, being the key problem solvers, and bearing the responsibility of everyone’s success, it’s hard to make time in your life for “just another meeting.” Obviously, this mindset is not helpful for you becoming a productive member of a peer group. If you’re having trouble finding the motivation to enthusiastically attend your CEO roundtable groups, choose to think of them as an investment in the long term health of your company. 

When someone in a leadership position seeks out avenues of growth, they are showing the people around them that they care about the future of their company. Instead of accepting the status quo, those in CEO peer groups are actively participating in ensuring the continued success of the business and the people within the business. The return on investment will be immeasurable when all stakeholders, employees, and partners feel that their hard work is worth the dedication because you’ve shown them that you believe in the business enough to spend dedicated time becoming a better leader. 

CEO Roundtable Groups with Catalyst Group ECR

Our roundtable program is for those who want a coach, not a consultant. It’s for those who want to arrive upon their own solutions, not be provided a scripted list of improvements. Simply, Catalyst Group ECR wants to cater your leadership coaching to the areas where growth is necessary, while helping you sustain and celebrate your current successes. We bring together a peer group of business owners in a confidential, safe space. The goal is growth, never judgement.

If you’re interested in growing your business and yourself, get in touch! We look forward to helping you on your journey!

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