CEO Sherrin Ingram chairs this high-performing Vistage CEO Peer Advisory Group. She can be reached at sherrin@sherrin.com or call 630-514-7743. THE BIG PICTURE:With close to 20,000 members in 15 countries, Vistage International is the world’s leading chief executive leadership organization for good…
CEO Sherrin Ingram chairs this high-performing Vistage CEO Peer Advisory Group. She can be reached at sherrin@sherrin.com or call 630-514-7743.
THE BIG PICTURE: With close to 20,000 members in 15 countries, Vistage International is the world’s leading chief executive leadership organization for good reason: Vistage works. Since 1957, Vistage has been providing unparalleled access to new ideas and fresh thinking through monthly peer meetings, one-on-one strategic planning sessions, speaker presentations from only the top industry experts, social networking and an extensive online content library of articles, best practices, podcasts and webinars. Vistage is the total package for some of the world’s busiest and most high performing executives and business owners.
THE BOTTOM LINE: What gets in the way of being an effective leader... CEO or President?
In my experience as a CEO and also coaching CEOs, the biggest threats to effective leadership and the sustainability of a company’s success are:
(1) unidentified blind spots (… as the old saying goes, “You don’t know what you don’t know.”); and
(2) being too slow to overcome blind spots once they are identified.
Failing to identify and overcome leadership blind spots leaves you believing that symptoms (such as low sales, flat or declining net profits, mediocre productivity, poor morale, lack of innovation, etc.) are the real problems. Ignoring blind spots keeps you working “in the weeds” and not correcting the root cause: YOUR LEADERSHIP. After dealing with the same type of problems year after year, you may begin believing that these are problems with the industry, the millenials, the government, the economy, or ______ (you fill in the blank)… anything outside of YOU. You can’t see this truth because you are too close to (and maybe created) the situation and have lost all objectivity.
Consistently high performing CEOs, Presidents and Business Owners have a confidential and safe place away from employees and ALL other stakeholders where they can be vulnerable and can:
- be honest about what’s really going on;
- productively vent their frustrations;
- get objective feedback on the full spectrum of issues and opportunities they face;
- learn about cutting-edge strategies and best practices; and
- have their thinking meaningfully challenged by other successful leaders who know what it means to be in their shoes.
Results happen faster when you have a safe place to regularly uncover your blind spots and gain clarity about important next steps. Such a place is worth its weight in gold and the time you spend there should be ruthlessly protected.
I found such a place in a Vistage Group. That’s why I agreed to Chair a Vistage Group. As the Group Chair, one of my responsibilities is to select smart CEOs, Presidents and Business Owners who are learners and who want to become more effective in their roles to join our group. If you want to have such a place for yourself and are qualified, then joining our Vistage Group may be right for you. Let’s connect and have a conversation about what that might look like and see if there is a mutual fit.
Team (1)
Sectors Vistage Chair - Chicago serves:
Manufacturing
Technology
Consumer Goods
Industrials
Health Care
Media
Life Sciences
Retail
Business Services
Materials
Telecommunications
Distribution
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