Introduction
A few years ago, an owner of a home services company brought an issue to his group. He had never laid anyone off in twenty years and was proud of that record. Then a large contract was delayed a full season. The additional crew he had hired was partly idle, everyone’s hours were shrinking, and his best people were getting frustrated.
He wanted help figuring out how long he could carry the extra employees. The group listened and asked questions. Eventually, someone asked, “Who is the no-layoff streak really for?” Another member challenged whether holding on was protecting his employees or protecting how he felt about himself.
Those were difficult questions. However, they came from business owners who understood the responsibility of making payroll and the human consequences of letting someone go. He left with a plan that included fair severance, guaranteed hours for those who stayed, and an open door to rehire when the work returned.
That is what a good peer advisory group can do. It helps you see the issue behind the issue, especially when your own emotions or assumptions are getting in the way.
What Does a CEO Peer Advisory Group Do?
A CEO peer advisory group brings business owners and senior leaders together regularly to work through challenges, share experience, and hold one another accountable. Its value depends on the people in the room, the quality of the facilitation, and what members do with the conversation afterward.
I should acknowledge my bias. I chair Vistage groups and make part of my living doing this work. I believe in the model because I have watched it help leaders for more than twenty years. I have also learned that assembling a group of successful people does not automatically create a valuable experience.
The best groups develop trust over time. Members learn enough about one another to recognize patterns, challenge explanations, and ask questions that someone meeting you for the first time would never think to ask.
Look for Questions Before Advice
When evaluating a peer group, pay attention to what happens when someone brings a difficult issue. Do members immediately explain what they would do, or do they first try to understand the situation?
In Vistage, we call this issue processing. A member explains the challenge, why it matters, what they have tried, and where they need help. The group asks clarifying questions before offering suggestions. Often, those questions change how the member understands the problem.
This takes discipline. Business owners are accustomed to solving problems, and we can be quick to assume that someone else’s situation resembles our own. However, what worked in your company may not work in mine. The circumstances, people, and underlying causes may be different.
A good group stays curious long enough to understand those differences. The conversation should eventually lead to a specific action, a commitment, and a follow-up discussion about what happened.
Choose the Chair Carefully
In my experience, the chair is one of the biggest factors in whether a group becomes valuable. Business experience helps, but facilitating a room of business owners requires additional skills.
A good chair or facilitator listens carefully, draws out quieter members, manages those who dominate, and recognizes when the room is avoiding something important. They have to be comfortable letting others work through an issue while also knowing when to intervene.
They also need the courage to challenge a respected member. Length of membership, company size, or personal popularity should never make someone exempt from honest feedback.
At the same time, honesty requires care and judgment. The purpose is to help someone see more clearly and make a better decision. People are much more willing to consider a difficult truth when they know you care about what happens to them.
Ask yourself whether you would trust this person with a meaningful challenge. Do they seem interested in understanding you? Can they question your thinking while treating you with respect? Do they recognize when an issue requires professional help beyond what the group can provide?
Evaluate the People Around the Table
The members deserve as much attention as the chair. These are the people whose questions, experiences, and expectations will influence you month after month.
I value having leaders from different industries in the room. Someone unfamiliar with your business may ask why you do something that you have accepted for years. That outside perspective can be extremely useful.
However, experience alone is not enough. Members need to listen, acknowledge mistakes, bring meaningful issues, and follow through. They also need to care about the progress of other people in the group.
I have learned this through experience. My first group was intended to consist entirely of nonprofit leaders. It never fully developed as envisioned, and after seven years I closed it. Later, I took over another chair’s group and underestimated how much rebuilding it needed. It eventually became a full, strong group, but getting there took time and changes in membership.
The mix of people matters. So does their willingness to do the work.
Ask About Trust and Accountability
Confidentiality should be discussed before you join. Ask what members agree to, how potential business conflicts are handled, and what happens if someone breaches confidentiality. Clear expectations matter, and trust grows as people consistently honor them.
Accountability deserves equal attention. When a member makes a commitment, does someone ask about it at the next meeting? Can the group address a pattern of avoidance without embarrassing the person or accepting the same explanation indefinitely?
Over time, members should know you well enough to recognize when circumstances have changed and when you are making excuses. That familiarity is part of what makes a long-term peer relationship valuable.
Be Honest About What You Need
A peer group can help you make better decisions, broaden your perspective, and feel less isolated. Individual coaching can provide concentrated attention to a particular behavior, sensitive issue, or leadership transition. Many leaders benefit from both.
Be realistic about your availability, too. Can you protect the meeting time, arrive prepared, and give other members your attention? If you attend inconsistently or keep your real challenges to yourself, you limit what the group can do for you.
I would also be cautious about choosing primarily on a promised business growth result. Strong member performance alone does not establish how much improvement came from membership. I would put more weight on the chair, the members, and concrete examples of better decisions and meaningful follow-through.
Questions to Ask Before Joining a Peer Group
Whenever possible, experience a meeting, subject to the group’s confidentiality practices. Talk with current members, including someone who has participated for several years. Ask:
- What is the hardest truth this group has helped you face?
- What have you changed because of your participation?
- How does the chair handle disagreement or a dominant member?
- What happens when someone repeatedly fails to follow through?
- What are the full costs, time commitments, and attendance expectations?
Listen for specific examples. You want to understand how the experience has affected someone’s decisions, behavior, and leadership.
Before joining, ask yourself one more question: Am I willing to hear something I do not want to hear—and do something about it?
The owner in the opening story benefited because he was willing to reconsider something that mattered deeply to him. The group helped him see the consequences more clearly, but he still had to make the decision.
That willingness matters. Choose people you respect, give them permission to challenge you, and take their questions seriously. A good peer group can only help you face the truth if you are prepared to consider it.