BUSINESS
PEER LEARNING: YOU ARE NOT ALONE I hope that a summer break has meant that you are able to return to work refreshed and energised for the months ahead. That said, if you are leading your own company, or acting in a senior role in an organisation, it can feel lonely. You’re often responsible for key decisions, and knowing the buck stops with you can feel like a burden. If you’re an entrepreneur or founder, you are also used to coming up with the ideas. But sometimes it would be good to feel that someone else could contribute to problem solving. This is particularly the case after the last 18 months. Concerns about the future of business have been combined with economic uncertainty and a background of worries about our own families.
The difficulty is knowing who is in a position to understand where you’re coming from when you talk about the business challenges you face. While they are supportive, friends and family won’t know exactly how it feels to be in your position, and you may not want to worry them if you have concerns on your mind. It might not be possible to share your thoughts and challenges with anyone in your business, for the same reasons. Equally, discussing challenges with professionals outside the business is not something many feel comfortable doing, either. We all want to be able to present our companies with confidence and it can be hard to admit when times are tough. So what can you do at times like this? Have you considered turning to those who are in the same position as you? A peer network, or peer learning group, is an excellent way of drawing on the experience of those who share the loneliness of leadership.
❛❛ A peer network, or peer learning
group, is an excellent way of drawing on the experience of those who share the loneliness of leadership ❜❜
Time and again we at the MD Hub have seen the benefit of MDs and C-suite executives meeting to share views and experiences. At the most recent session I facilitated, the group was reflecting how helpful they found it to share experiences and insights. They all run very different companies, varied in size, age, sector and location, but they have similar challenges and concerns. So what can you expect from a peer network?
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