Vistage Autumn Events programme by Vistage UK

Transformation Together: Leadership Insights

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Was being a CEO your dream job?

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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next?

Move from a life of success to a life of significance, mentoring and guiding todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top leaders. vistage.co.uk/chair

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A personal and straightforward approach to wealth management, shaped around you. Discover more today www.7im.co.uk

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l cu cir Capital at risk. The value of investments can vary and you may get back less than you invested. Seven Investment Management LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, the Jersey Financial Services Commission and the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. Member of the London Stock Exchange. Registered office: 55 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 3AS. Registered in England and Wales number OC378740.

Contents Page 1

Introduction

Page 2

Member Stories

Page 3

Events Calendar

Page 15

Vistage Confidence Index

Page 41

A CEOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide to Leading in Challenging Times

Page 43

Vistage Referral

Page 61

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Contents

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Vistage: Transforming Together

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The last few months have been some of my toughest and I know the same is true for many of you. Members across business sectors have spoken of their struggles and successes in the face of adversity and demonstrated impressive resilience and resourcefulness.

We have put this publication together to help you access some of the content that will be available over the next 3 months in terms of webinars and Virtual Executive Summits as well as some examples of recent case studies and white papers.

Geoff Lawrence Managing Director Vistage International (UK) Ltd.

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I have heard stories of business owners transforming their business models overnight and responding with great kindness of spirit to the NHS, social care sector and others most in need. Our content theme for this therefore is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Transformation Togetherâ&#x20AC;? which strongly reflects the value for many within the Vistage community. I hope you find this on-going programme useful.

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Mearns & Company Member Case Study

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Catherine Bell on how Vistage helps her go further

Catherine Bell MD of Mearns & Company

Catherine Bell is MD of Mearns & Company, a multi-award winning firm of chartered financial planners and director of Lightbox Reward, an online employee benefit portal. Mearns & Company is family-owned and run with the help of a 27-strong team.

The role came with a lot more responsibility than my former post as Operations Director, and although I’ve got the board and directors to consult, as MD you’re ultimately responsible for the day-to-day running and success of the company.

The first time I heard about Vistage I was reading Fierce Leadership by Susan Scott. She mentions Vistage in the book and I was intrigued.” A series of strange coincidences followed, starting with an invitation to a Vistage open day from Scottish Enterprise, and an Investors in People event where she met Jo Macsween, who unbeknown to her was setting up a Vistage group.

Naturally I hoped it would be a supportive environment where we could learn together and bounce things off each other but what I didn’t expect was the strength of connections and friendships that have grown. We’ve formed such a strong unit. I feel like we’re a team.”

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www.vistage.co.uk

Stronger and braver together

“One of the group members once said: ‘we go faster alone, but further together,’ and I really think that’s the case. Everyone’s got each other’s back, and that gives you real strength in achieving your ambition. It’s boosted my confidence too.

“ Everyone’s got each other’s back, and that gives you real strength in achieving your ambition. It’s boosted my confidence too.”

“Jo invited me to go along to a trial morning event she was running with some of the other chairs in Scotland to give prospects more of a flavour of how the group days would work and I came away convinced I wanted to join. Before joining, I already had a good idea of how the group would be structured, with groups day and 1:1s, but what I didn’t know was who would be in the group or what the group dynamics would be like.

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“I joined Mearns & Company in 2000 and worked in all areas of the company until taking over from my mum as MD in January 2018, a few months after joining Vistage.

Catherine then spoke to her Investors in People advisor about the prospect of joining Vistage, who referred her to colleague who was a Vistage member who, in turn, introduced her to the same Jo she’d previously met.

Catherine Bell Mearns & Company

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“The quality of Vistage speakers alone make joining Vistage worthwhile” “Being involved with the group and my coaching sessions with Jo have helped me achieve a better work-life balance. I’ve made space for exercise and creativity and spend more time doing activities outside of work. Before joining Vistage, I would often go home and still think about work and prioritise it over things I probably shouldn’t have done.”

It’s also great to be able to raise topics with the group that I wouldn’t want to sit and discuss with, say, a friend on a night out or with family over dinner. Running a business has its own challenges which other people who run a business understand.” In between group sessions, members connect on WhatsApp, enabling them to post in the moment if they need a little help.

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Private advisory group for MDs, executives and business owners.

“As a company we’ve won a lot of awards which we’re so proud of, but winning something personally was really special. It meant a lot.

Finding work-life balance is another area in which Vistage has helped Catherine.

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In addition to our group member day Zoom sessions and 1:1s, during the Covid-19 crisis, Jo introduced weekly ‘connect calls’ by Zoom to give those who wanted it extra support. Even though our business hasn’t been negatively affected in the same way as many businesses, it still involved a change in the way we work, so it was great having those catch-ups.”

This shift in mindset, along with the ongoing learning, support and development she’s gained from her Vistage peer group has had a positive impact on Catherine’s work. Last year she won the Vistage Scotland Impact Award in recognition of remarkable development, achievement and impact.

The quality of Vistage speakers alone make joining Vistage worthwhile”, says Catherine, who believes once you’ve heard a Vistage speaker, other speakers can seem disappointing, “but the advice and support I get from my group, that’s priceless.”

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Member Case Study

The life-changing benefits of Vistage

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Shona McCarthy Chief Executive of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society

Shona McCarthy is Chief Executive of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, the organisation that underpins the Fringe. Performing three main functions: supporting artists, assisting audiences and celebrating the Fringe and what it stands for all over the world. Last year over 3.1 million tickets were issued, making its scale on a par with the FIFA World Cup, and second to the Olympic Games.

Being in the cultural sector, we’re not used to organisations such as the Institute of Directors, Chief Executive forums or anything like that. Cultural sector work tends to be a bit ‘nose to the grindstone’, getting on with our jobs, raising money and making things happen. Often, it’s because we’re in the not-for-profit sector or dependent on public sector subsidies to survive. But being the Chief Executive can be a lonely place, and I was interested in the idea of mentoring right from the get-go.

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A meeting of minds

I’m a very practical, doing sort of person and the idea of sitting around in a big circle talking about issues filled me with dread. It took about a year of conversations with Jo before I went along to my first meeting, and only then it was as an observer. Jo wanted me to meet other members and find out more about Vistage straight from the horse’s mouth.

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“The first meeting helped me see the true impact Vistage has on its members.”

“The scale of the Edinburgh Fringe is ginormous. Last year, we had almost 4,000 shows and 52,000 performances with representation from 63 countries, and it’s like that pretty much every year. The scale of our small, charitable organisation is slightly less enormous. Year-round I have a team of about 32 that work out of the Fringe Shop on the Royal Mile. This swells to an extra 100 during the festival, when we relocate to a university building that becomes our festival hub.”

presentation with photos and images from various festivals and major cultural projects I’d worked on when Jo Macsween, Chair of the Vistage group, invited me for coffee. Some of the things I’d said about leadership had struck a chord and she thought she might be able to help.

www.vistage.co.uk

The first meeting helped me see the true impact Vistage has on its members. The group also gave me advice on how I could sell it to my organisation. I was conscious that coming from a small charity, which is really what we are, that asking it to invest in me and my professional

“I first heard about Vistage when I was asked to give a talk about my career and leadership in the cultural sector for the Institute of Directors. I had just delivered a 25-minute

Shona MaCarthy ED Fringe and investors etc – so there is commonality. I get enormous value from seeing how leaders in more traditional businesses approach what they do.

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“I left feeling completely energised and excited, but also with some very focussed ideas that are going to help me move forward.”

development was quite a significant ask out of our training and development budget. The group helped me articulate and justify the case to the board.

It was honestly the most rewarding, brilliant session I’ve ever been involved in. Everyone in my group read the document I sent beforehand, and they all came to the session with a different perspective and something unique to say. I left feeling completely energised and excited, but also with some very focussed ideas that are going to help me move forward. I know they’ll absolutely hold me to account to make the changes I want.

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Increasingly I was being asked to do public speaking as part of my role, and so asking for an honorarium or some kind of contribution was an obvious way to help fund my Vistage fees. I also made a case that in investing in the professional development and leadership skills of your CEO you’re investing in the development of the whole organisation, as it has a cascading effect. Sometimes I think we concentrate on developing managers and senior leadership teams, but forget CEOs.

The Fringe Festival has been badly affected by Covid, but my group are always full of practical advice and help. I recently came to the group with a huge question, especially for a group of people who are not in my world, not from the cultural sector. The question was ‘How do I use this moment in time as a positive opportunity to create major change in the organisation I lead?’

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Joining Vistage has been lifechanging. I expected it to focus on topics such as performance management, but it offers a far richer experience than that. Working in the cultural sector, you tend not to see yourself as a businessperson, so I also expected the other MDs not to speak the same language as me. However, being a CEO is largely about people - meeting the needs of your employees, customers

Private advisory group for MDs, executives and business owners.

The decision not to run the festival this year was a hugely impactful decision, as it affects the economics of the whole city, and many people’s livelihoods. However, the last few months have been a good time for reflection and to consider how we can fast-track some of the major changes we wish to see in future festivals. My aim is to ensure the Fringe comes out of this pandemic not just the biggest performing arts festival in the world, in fact I don’t even care if it’s the biggest, but the best, and I know my Vistage group will support me every step of the way.

Viande Group Member Case Study

In every crisis there’s opportunity

Adapting to change

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Greg Thatcher is the owner of Viande Group, which comprises Blakes Meats Limited and R.P. Meats Wholesale. Greg is also the owner and founder of Brighton Express Meats and Fresh Meat Daily, a no-contact home delivery service launched in response to Covid-19.

Swapping a globetrotting IT career for a family butchers isn’t an obvious career move, but for Greg, it was “one of those opportunities in life I couldn’t ignore”. R.P. meats, co-founded by his father in 1978, came up for sale in 2015 on the announcement of his father’s retirement.

“I was coming back from a holiday in Austria just as the border was shutting, which was quite a sobering experience. What should’ve been a nice, relaxing holiday quickly became a reality check. On the plane journey home, I began taking notes and planning what we were going to do. Shutdown in the UK hadn’t quite happened but it was inevitable it was going to. What were we going to do in terms of trying to generate enough revenue to keep the business going? Fortunately, we had a very good transport system as we’d invested well in terms of route planning and tracking.

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“I was looking for a change in my lifestyle, to be closer to my young family,” says Greg, who had grown tired of chatting to his three-year-old via a grainy Skype connection thousands of miles from home.

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Six months after buying the firm, Greg was also offered Blakes Meats Limited, one of R.P. Meats biggest customers at the time, which he purchased as protection from competition. It also presented him with an opportunity to drive efficiencies in areas such as logistics, purchasing and accounts.

I already had in my mind that a B2C online food delivery business was going to be the way to go, so I called a “Cobra” team meeting, and two days later we launched Brighton Express Meats. We took our first online order the same day at 3pm.”

“As with many firms, Covid-19 brought sweeping changes to the way both businesses ran”

As with many firms, Covid-19 brought sweeping changes to the way both businesses ran. Where R.P. Meats experienced growth as a result of panic buying and stockpiling, Blakes Meats, which sells to the education, care hospitality and leisure sectors experienced a very different story.

The team then launched a marketing and social media campaign. “We got in touch with newspapers, sent press releases and did interviews with BBC South Today, BBC Radio Sussex and The Argus.

www.vistage.co.uk

Greg Thatcher Viande The ability to go from two to three businesses overnight, and later to four, is also, Greg says thanks to “the support, direction and ideas Vistage has given me. I couldn’t have done it without them.

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“Vistage has given me confidence, clarity and direction, rather than bumble along with the business. As a result, the business is moving in the right direction a lot faster.”

At one point I felt I was taking up so much of everyone’s time, but the members are just so supportive. If you’ve got an issue, they help resolve it. It’s a very, very tight group of people.

Every time we did something like that the orders just shot up. We’ve also built up a database of about 3.5K using Brighton Express Meats.

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No-one ever plans for their business to fall through the floor and get 0% trade. In that respect, Covid-19 has been a really useful lesson in how we gear our business, because there’s nothing to say this couldn’t happen again in the future.

When you go into a group, you sign an NDA, so what goes on in Vistage, stays in Vistage. Being able to sit there and say what’s going on in my head and this is what I want to achieve is just amazing.

Power of support

Private advisory group for MDs, executives and business owners.

“The success of the business has been really exciting and it’s down to the ability of the team and their openness to change. In a few months’ time we’ll look back fondly at how well we’ve worked together. It’s been a great bonding experience.”

Vistage also helped Greg conquer a personal fear. “I’ve never been comfortable presenting in front of a group of people but David, my chair, encouraged me to do a Pecha Kucha for the group, which I did around me as a person and where I want to go. Motivational speakers often claim that if you can say, with laser sharp clarity, in one or two sentences ‘this is the reason I’m getting out of bed,’ everything else will fall into place. Vistage helped me work out my personal vision and I’m absolutely locked in to that vision now.”

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I’ve always had the mindset that in every crisis there’s opportunity. It’s definitely not a time to panic, but a time for clear thinking and really ploughing forward. Having a new baby within the first week of lockdown added to the challenge.” Greg was also in the process of buying out a business partner.

Vistage has given me confidence, clarity and direction, rather than bumble along with the business. As a result, the business is moving in the right direction a lot faster.”

Nevilles Member Case Study

On how Vistage coaching is different

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The next time you visit a restaurant, give a thought to the plates, cutlery and glasses in front of you. The chances are they came from family-run business, Nevilles. Set up in 1965 by the grandfather of Vistage member, Andrew Neville, this 3rd generation supplier of catering equipment is familiar with the ever-changing hospitality industry, but nothing quite as dramatic as Covid.

Navigating Covid together

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I’d only recently joined Vistage when the Covid outbreak began. Prior to that I’d had a 1:1 coach for many years who was great. On announcing he was moving on to a full-time position, my coach recommended I look into Vistage. This led to a telephone call with Paul, the Chair of my Vistage group.

“My experience of Vistage so far has been great. As soon as the Covid crisis emerged, Paul set up weekly group meetings to tackle the challenges everyone was facing. In a situation so unprecedented, it’s been wonderful to be able to tap into multiple people’s brains and access relevant resources and expertise. Listening and hearing examples of good practice with group members has also helped me communicate better with staff during this really challenging time.

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“It’s been wonderful to be able to tap into multiple people’s brains and access relevant resources and expertise.“

“As a business, we realised early on that the hospitality industry would be significantly hit by the pandemic, so we immediately set about reviewing our cash flow and implementing incentives to help reduce costs. We also worked with our global suppliers to try and cancel orders, as we knew the crisis would impact the number of products we could sell.

I was used to seeing a business coach on a monthly basis, but unfamiliar with the Vistage executive coaching approach. Paul explained that I’d still have a monthly 1:1 session, but also benefit from regular meetings with a group of non-competing, like-minded business owners who I could tackle business challenges with and learn from. It almost sounded too good to be true.”

www.vistage.co.uk

Andrew Neville Nevilles

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I’ve also had access to inspirational expert talks, including one on Adventure Psychology that looked at how to survive, cope and thrive during uncertainty. An especially relevant topic at the moment given the challenges many businesses face. We also had a speaker talk about the changing nature of people, which is relevant when redesigning your business.

I think Vistage members are in a far better position than non-Vistage members, especially at a time like now. You have access to excellent on-demand resources, a supportive peer group, world-class speakers and 1:1s with a brilliant Chair. The honesty that I get from both my 1:1s and peer group sessions is also really important. All the members are very open about the things they’re discussing, and the fact peer groups are 100% confidential means it’s safe to talk. I feel comfortable from moment I’m in my group because of how people behave and react to each other. Good things happen when I’m in my Vistage group.”

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“I’ve also had access to inspirational expert talks, including one on Adventure Psychology that looked at how to survive, cope and thrive during uncertainty.”

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So many businesses will be restructuring currently. Knowing how to make your business survive not just this pandemic, but better able to cope with an uncertain future is important. The ideas and thoughts I gain from speakers and group sessions are helping me understand what that future might look like.

Private advisory group for MDs, executives and business owners.

JTM

Commercial Laundry & Dishwashing

Member Case Study

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John Middleton is the founder and former MD of JTM Service, a leader in on-premise laundry and ware-wash equipment, sales and maintenance. Starting in 1983 as a one-man engineering service, the 20-strong company now provides laundry facilities and services to sectors including the NHS, care homes, social housing and the hotel and leisure industry. Here John tells us how Vistage helped him focus on the destination, not just the journey, in growing his business.

John Middleton

How Vistage helped give my business direction.

At this point I decided to take the business into the B2B market, which turned out to be a good move. The margins were greater, there was plenty of work and fewer problems. The business continued to move forward, but still with little direction until a chance meeting with a Vistage member on a skiing trip gave me the introduction that would impact my future.

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I did not come from a family of business owners, and there were no Vistage or other business groups at that time offering support. I was just flying by the seat of my pants. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to do a great job, make good profits and that quality mattered to me.

When we start a business with our own initial investment It’s a bit like buying an open ticket and boarding a train on the London Underground. We are setting off on a journey but not quite sure where to. We just know we want “MORE”. More profit, more business, more staff, more of whatever it is we think we want, but if we are not careful, we just go round and round on that perpetual Circle Line! At some point we need to know what our end destination looks like so that we can recognise it when we arrive.

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“The only thing I knew was that I wanted to do a great job, make good profits and that quality mattered to me.”

“Like most self-employed people, I started out thinking all I needed was to be good at my job. I quickly discovered that being good at repairing washing machines has nothing to do with running a business.

This helped me develop relationships with all the top manufacturers and led me to open a retail store and start training my own engineers. By 1990 I had a very successful business, but then disaster struck. The manufacturers decided every new washing machine would now sell with a five-year warranty. This created a rapid decline in available work for the independent service sector, except for insurance work, where profitability was capped by the insurance provider.

I quickly became chairman of the Domestic Appliance Service Association, a national body promoting best practice and quality for the independent service sector.

www.vistage.co.uk

John Middleton JTM

“It’s not the destination but the journey that matters’,”

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But Vistage isn’t just about business success, it’s about personal development and transformation. My group has supported me through everything from personal illness and tragedy to an unexpected mid-life meltdown. We’ve talked a lot together and sometimes cried together too.

Having started as a one-man business my main problem was that everything revolved around me. I had put lots of systems and processes in place, but it was a bit like the Swiss clock, everything ticked along just fine until you took the battery (me) out. I had never really considered that until I joined Vistage, and I began to wonder how I would ever sell the business if it needed me to run it.

I thought about everything I wanted to achieve by the end of my life and then looked backwards, down my lifeline, where I could clearly see my past, my present and my future plans in clear perspective. This gave me the self-understanding and clarity I needed to finally get off that circular line and start fast tracking to my chosen destination.

When I got on the Vistage train (V24) and started to explore the benefits in each carriage, like world class speakers, high quality peer groups, outstanding chairmen, mentors, new contacts and networking opportunities, it helped me to see the undeveloped areas of my business and myself. As I learned more about myself and my business then my ideal “end destination” started to grow in clarity and that knowledge is something that is hard to put a high enough value on.

I originally joined Vistage wanting to learn from other successful businesses. I certainly got that and a whole lot more. Vistage gave me the confidence, skills, and knowledge to move my business in the right direction and finally create a successful and satisfying exit. As for my future, well I now get to watch from the sidelines as the next JTM journey departs from the platform I created with a new dynamic MD in the driving seat and an internally developed management team in the engine room. I can’t wait to see where that journey will take them!

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I now always look backwards to plan my forward momentum and use that method for just about everything I do. Perhaps the most important aspect of any business journey is when we come to sell, as it often represents the conclusion of a key part of our life’s work. For me, this was where the support and advice from my Vistage group was monumental in the creation of my perfect exit.

I also join the fraternity of the Vistage V24 Alumni group where some fantastic businesses have laid a path to follow. I intend to do a little business speaking, where I can, to share the best of what I have learned for the benefit of others still on that “Circle Line”.

Private advisory group for MDs, executives and business owners.

The saying ‘it’s not the destination but the journey that matters’, can be a great motto to live by, but in business, we do eventually need a successful end game and Vistage helped me to bring that into focus.

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With the support of my Vistage peers and an amazing chairman, who would constantly question my views and perspectives, I began to put a management team in place. I placed some of my senior staff into Vistage Key member groups, so we were all getting the same training. Consequently, there was a lot of learning and progress made within the business until its eventual sale in 2019.

I distinctly remember one session when Tina, a relatively new lady member in our group, challenged me to get my “life-plan” in order, and so that’s exactly what I did!

Most businesses in our sector are bought by competitors via the traditional “trade sale” but this troubled me as I also wanted to protect the interests of my loyal staff who had stayed with me throughout the years. Now with a clear vision of what I wanted and the professional support within my group, I was able to develop my own bespoke exit strategy that ticked all the boxes important to me and create a win-win solution for all the key stakeholders involved.

Ufford Park Member Case Study

Vistage is worth its weight in gold

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“You’d have to ask someone that knew me personally five years ago to know how much Vistage has transformed my life,” says Tarnia Robertson, managing director of Ufford Park hotel, golf and spa. A finalist in both the Business Woman of the Year (small business) and Service Excellence awards, Tarnia puts her success down to joining Vistage and the support of a great team.

Tarnia Robertson MD of Ufford Park

Joining the Vistage peer group About six to nine months into my role as MD I was approached by entrepreneur and former Chairman of Ipswich Town FC, David Sheepshanks. David was looking to bring together like-minded MDs and CEOs to form Suffolk’s first Vistage group. On hearing about me from a mutual contact, David rang to ask if I’d be open to joining such a group. I’d already done a year’s work-related counselling, and been part of a sales organisation that did seminars and recommended books, but what I really needed was to mix with people who were doing my role in different businesses. Vistage sounded ideal.

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In 2013 my parents talked about retiring, giving me the chance to become MD. I was very much lacking self-confidence and unsure I was up to it, so we agreed I would relinquish my marketing role, get replacements in and spend the next 18 months learning the trade.

At the time, I didn’t have anyone I could share my business problems with. I couldn’t expect other hotel owners and managers to share their trade secrets with me, and I didn’t want to talk endlessly about business with my husband over family meals (with my parents’, every family meal would often lead to heated discussions about work). I also didn’t want to involve my parents.

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“What I really needed was to mix with people who were doing my role in different businesses.”

“Ufford Park is a family business. My parents bought it in 1991, and expanded it over the next 28 years. After university, a career in London and marriage to Stuart, the club’s Head Golf Pro, my parents asked me at the turn of the millennium if I fancied joining the business. They needed someone to set up the marketing department and having had some experience, I took on the role.

I worked in lots of different departments, and stayed in competitor hotels. I also met lots of hotel owners and managers, generally learning as much as I could.

www.vistage.co.uk

Tarnia Robertson Ufford Park

Long story short, I now have the right organisational structure ie. the right people on the bus who are supportive and have been amazing during Covid.

“Some staff even said they’d noticed how much stronger and confident I appeared.”

Staying positive during Covid

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finance or other aspects of business, you’re commercially unaware. But discovering that people skills are the most important skill you can have, especially within the hospitality industry, really boosted my confidence. I can get someone to support me with the financing and the other important tasks I had little experience in before.

Ufford Park was their baby, but despite ’retiring’ they were finding it very difficult to let go. In short, I was so convinced Vistage was what I needed that after a couple of interviews with David, I signed up without discussing it with my parents, as I felt so strongly that the investment in money and time, were exactly what I needed in order to succeed in my new role.

Of course, joining Vistage is an investment in terms of time and money but I can honestly say it’s more than paid for itself. Without the support of my peer group, David’s ‘hand-holding’ and expertise, and the advice of the speakers, I’d have the wrong staff, the wrong culture, and there’s no way I’d be the leader that I am today or have coped with the enormity of the pandemic. Vistage has been worth its weight in gold.”

For about a week I remember practising what I was going to say in the mirror, much to my kids’ amusement!

Private advisory group for MDs, executives and business owners.

Every year, we have visits from tourism inspectors and I remember one lady saying ‘I can see what you’re trying to do but I’ll tell you now your Senior manager is not into it and if he’s not on board, no-one will be’. For me that was the final straw. David, the Chair, was able to coach and advise me on how I could handle the problem.

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I’d been brought up to think my natural skills, which for me are people skills, were pointless and that, if you don’t understand

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One of the main attractions for joining were David’s 1-2-1s, and the group meetings, which I was nervous about attending. I knew I’d learn loads from the other leaders but I couldn’t see how I could give anything back. I just kept thinking ‘why am I here?’ surrounded by all these amazing MDs and CEOs of companies much larger than mine. I’m not going to be able to teach you anything! I now know it doesn’t matter how big or small your firm is, all business leader’s issues/causes of stress are related to either staff or their customers. Finding out we all shared the same problems was definitely a ‘Yay!’ moment.

That said, you need a team of people with more than functional expertise. A few years ago, I had a big problem with a Senior Manager who, was negatively impacting the team culture. The group said in order to work on my vision, and to change the culture within the business I must firstly tackle the manager issue, but I hated confrontation.

As a hospitality business, we’ve been badly affected by Covid, but one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from Vistage is the importance of staying calm. We recently had a speaker that said every MD or manager casts a shadow, meaning the way you behave can have a positive or negative effect on your team. I’m acutely aware from seeing how my parents react, that all visible stress does is worry people, meaning noone wins. With everyone watching me, and looking to me for answers, especially during the early days of lockdown, I thought the best thing I can do is stay calm and focused. This really paid off and I even had a few emails from staff thanking me for the way I handled the situation. Some staff even said they’d noticed how much stronger and confident I appeared (I can tell you now, that’s not always how I felt!).

Events Calendar

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7th October - 12:30pm - 1:30pm Gerry O’Brion - #1 Choice In a Crowded Market 16th October - 8:30am - 1:00pm Virtual Vistage Executive Summit Matthew Syed - Rebel Ideas: The Diversity of Thinking Pippa Malmgren - The Post-COVID Recovery Will be Quantum Joe Galvin - Decision factors to maximise Recovery

21st October - 12:30pm -1:30pm Nicola Cook - Building a Sales Engine For Growth

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28th October -12:30pm -1:30pm Floyd Woodrow - Leadership at the Right Hand Edge of Resilience

4th November -12:30pm -1:30pm Carole Gaskell - Smarter, Better, Faster – Empower Change, Accelerate Performance 11th November - 12:30pm -1:30pm Phil Ives - Accelerating the Increase in the Equity Value of Your Business

27th November - 8:30am - 1:00pm Virtual Vistage Executive Summit Keynote to be announced

2nd December - 12:30pm -1:30pm Shivvy Jervis - Our 5.0 New Reality

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18th November - 12:30pm -1:30pm Chris Brauer - UK Competitiveness and Innovation in Economic Recovery

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The Autumn 2020 Virtual Executive Summits and Leading in Challenging Times webinar programme commences on Wednesday 7th October 2020 and aims to bring content, fresh thinking and new ideas to you each week. Registration is open to all members, their colleagues, Alumni and Vistage invited guests. These events will take place weekly and will be bringing new topics and speakers into the frame each week. These speakers will be giving timely insights and takeaways for you to use in your professional and personal environment.

Sam Oddie Speaker Programme and Events Director Vistage International (UK) Ltd.

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We have looked to cover a variety of topics from Talent, Coaching, Sales, Customers, Culture, Leadership, Innovation, Competitive Advantage, Future Trends and Technology. There will also be regular economic updates on Brexit and the global economy incorporated into this programme. For further information about all these events visit www.vistage.co.uk/events

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7th October 2020 #1 Choice In a Crowded Market With Gerry O’Brion

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Learn a framework in innovation and influence that will show you how to become the #1 choice in crowded industries. Create disruptive strategies and messaging to attract your ideal customers, and leverage change to create unique competitive advantages making you the clear choice. Your customers may be interested in your why and engaged by your story, but they BUY YOUR BECAUSE. Gerry’s Power of BECAUSE framework has been used by manufacturers, distributors, dealers and businesses of all kinds to clarify their message, drive referrals and close sales. The presentation is a fun, thought-provoking dialogue that reveals the four critical questions you should be asking to stand out in the sea of sameness. It is packed with strategies and case studies from multiple industries that can be implemented immediately. Gerry O’Brion has worked on several billion-dollar brands and distilled that experience into a framework that will challenge your thinking about why customers buy, and how they make referrals.

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Gerry O’Brion

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The foundation of all business is getting customers to buy from you. Today, you’re going to learn a framework of influence that reveals how to become the #1 choice, even in a crowded market. You’re going to learn about the Power of BECAUSE. After years as an executive with billion-dollar brands, Gerry O’Brion is now a professional speaker and author. His Power of BECAUSE framework of has helped tens of thousands of CEOs, business owners and sales teams stand out from the sea of sameness and grow their sales. Gerry began his career in marketing at Procter & Gamble and then was an executive for Coors Light, Quiznos, and Red Robin. He has his MBA from the University of Michigan. Gerry also spent 8 years serving in the military.

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16th October 2020 Virtual Vistage Executive Summit

With Matthew Syed, Pippa Malmgren and Joe Galvin Sponsored by Seven Investment Management

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Keynote: Matthew Syed Rebel Ideas: The Diversity of Thinking Where do the best ideas come from, and how do we apply these ideas to the problems we face – leading a team, at work, in the education of our children, and in the biggest shared challenges of our age: rising obesity, terrorism and climate change? In this bold and inspiring session, Matthew argues that individual intelligence is no longer enough; that the only way to tackle these complex problems is to harness the power of ‘cognitive diversity’.

Matthew Syed

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Matthew Syed is one of the world’s most influential thinkers in the field of high performance and cultural change.

In his most recent best seller – Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking - Syed argues that individual intelligence is no longer enough to solve today’s complex problems; to truly succeed we must harness the power of ‘cognitive diversity’. Rebel Ideas uncovers the best kept secrets of the world’s most successful teams, bringing insights from psychology, anthropology and data science, whilst drawing on a dazzling range of intriguing case studies. Find out more at http://vis.pm/16thOct

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Syed is a successful author and highly acclaimed speaker. He has written six best-selling books on the subject of mind-set and high performance – Bounce, Black Box Thinking, Rebel ideas, The Greatest, and his celebrated children’s books, You Are Awesome and The You Are awesome Journal – and has worked with many leading organisations to build a mind-set of continuous improvement. He is also a multi-award-winning journalist for The Times and a regular contributor to television and radio. In his previous career, Syed was the England table tennis number one for almost a decade.

Economist: Pippa Malmgren The Post-COVID Recovery Will be Quantum: Preparing for the Upside The good news is that no one knows more about the economy than people running SME’s and mid-sized businesses. These are the backbone of any economy. They have to make decisions based on instinct and real-time observations of reality. There’s no textbook for this moment in history. That means imaginal skills and gut instincts are paramount. Imagination is the key to success in the new post-COVID/Post Recession world

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We have record capital injected into the world economy. Investors are looking for a good business model. Government bonds look dangerous now that inflation is picking up. People will back genuine unimpaired cash flows. People are emotionally inclined to support SME’s and local/national businesses now. All the old business models are broken and imaginal skills can produce new ones very quickly.

Pippa Malmgren

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As a former Presidential Advisor, Chief Currency Strategist, and Deputy Head of Global Strategy for global banks, Dr. Malmgren is now building the economy, having co-founded H Robotics, a maker of drones, autonomous vehicles and digitization tools for many industries mining, oil and gas, construction, agribusiness and public safety all of which need to manage their remote assets from a smartphone.

Dr. Pippa Malmgren gave the commencement addresses at the London School of Economics in 2013 & 2016, and lectures at Sandhurst, INSEAD, Duke Fuqua Global Executive MBA.

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Find out more at http://vis.pm/16thOct

Research: Joe Galvin, Chief Research Officer, Vistage Worldwide, Inc. Decision factors to maximise recovery

The latest insights from Vistage research will help you understand the key factors you must consider as part of your decision-making in these uncertain times. Expand your perspectives and inform strategic decisions on how to best manage customers, talent, finances and operations, and ultimately ensure your business is well-positioned for future success.

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First Session

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Second Session

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21st October 2020 Building A Sales Engine For Growth With Nicola Cook

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Building a Sales Engine to Survive and Thrive “Never let a good crisis go to waste” - Winston Churchill Regardless of sector, is your business making the most of the current economic disruption? Following the principles of her SAM© model (Sales Acceleration Model) during this one-hour session, Nicola Cook the Chief Opportunity Officer of Company Shortcuts will talk through 6 key actions in Building a Sales Engine for your business that will enable you to survive the pandemic and come out the other side stronger and better positioned for faster growth. Leave with a clearly defined road map for the next stage of your sales acceleration Understand how to remove heroic sales leaders and instead build team capability

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Refine your value, galvanise your team, understand the gaps and actions needed to build a scalable, multi-channel, multi-territory Sales Engine. Join us and uncover the latest thinking in sales structure and strategy.

Nicola Cook

She has published two international bestsellers, which have been translated into 16 languages and her hotly anticipated third book is due out later this year. Nicola is invited to speak internationally and her firm Company Shortcuts was a finalist in two categories at the prestigious BESMA (British Excellence in Sales & Marketing Awards) in 2016, making the finals in the ‘Best sales trainer in the UK’ category, and ‘Best Training centre’.

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Nicola specialises in helping business leaders create accelerated growth and scalability in their sales function. Teaching CEOs what they need to know about designing and implementing sales growth strategy, before they delegate down to their SDs or Sales teams.

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28th October 2020 Leadership at the Right Hand Edge of Resilience

With Floyd Woodrow

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Success has a strategy, and by understanding what strategies work for us we can develop our potential in a positive way that not only enables us to pursue our dreams but unify others behind us. Leadership requires you to develop those around you by empowerment, including them in your plans, being open and honest with them, challenging them and then allowing them to have control of their destiny.

Personal and team responsibility is the key to achievement â&#x20AC;&#x201C; being able to understand your start point, where you want to go and then applying total commitment by stepping into the pressure zone. In addition being able to be decisive, robust and versatile in your decision making may mean at times that you will need to appear ruthless but never lose sight of the need for empathy. Floyd will outline his thoughts and beliefs about the importance of decisive action and how this can steer you towards ultimate success.

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At the end of an interactive workshop, Floyd will introduce you to a number of key performance principles that he has seen used in elite organisations. The four key pillars of this are: Awareness; Presence; Strategic decision making; The ability to make decisions. He will enable you to understand your own current start point and more importantly where you want to go in the future as an individual and as an organisation.

Floyd Woodrow

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Floyd is a former Special Forces Soldier who delivered unparalleled success over a full career with 22 Special Air Service Regiment (SAS). He was awarded a DCM, the second highest gallantry award, for work in Iraq, and an MBE for work in Afghanistan. He was graded in the top 1% of SAS officers.

After leaving the military Floyd set up his own businesses and now leads Quantum Financial Holdings. Alongside this Floyd has developed a leadership consultancy and has worked across the world developing elite leadership programmes.

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4th November 2020 Smarter, Better, Faster - Empower Change, Accelerate Performance

With Carole Gaskell

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Seismic shifts worldwide have shaken many businesses to the core. We’ve all had a wakeup call to be smarter. Now it’s time to seize the opportunity to empower change, realign, reimagine and renew our businesses and our people to emerge stronger.

In this interactive session you’ll learn how to empower change and unlock more potential in every employee by: • Working smarter - realigning your team, firing them up around their motivational drivers and preferences • Communicating better – reimagining your vital conversations and coaching impact • Being faster and more adaptable – renewing yourself and your team’s brainpower to accelerate performance and activate new business growth

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Carole Gaskell

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Carole is a highly-acclaimed coach, inspirational speaker and best-selling author in the field of people potential and leadership development. She has made numerous TV and radio appearances and is a regular contributor to business, national and consumer publications. Her skills lie in keynote speaking, leadership facilitation, coaching senior business leaders and their teams to reach their full potential and create high-performance cultures within their organisations. Her energetic, creative commitment to bringing positive change to individuals and organisations is also the passion that fuels her business, Full Potential Group — one of Europe’s longest-established and most highly-regarded specialist coaching and leadership development companies — which she established in 1997. She has delivered keynotes at conferences in the UK and internationally, including CIPD in UK and AsiaPacific, Worldwide investment conferences and Vistage CEO groups. She has spoken for clients including Ageas, Alzheimer’s Society, Harrods, Heinz, Hilton Hotels, Lend Lease, Mercer, Nationwide Building Society, Starbucks, Tesco, VW Group, William Hill and United Utilities, along with a variety of SMEs throughout the UK.

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11th November 2020 Accelerating the Increase in the Equity Value of your Business

With Phil Ives

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With the economic recovery at a critical juncture, the immediate future may represent the best opportunity many entrepreneurs will have to generate additional real wealth before selling or exiting their businesses. Irrespective of whether or not you’re considering an exit either now or in the future, there are a number of key things to consider and implement now to secure and deliver future growth, accelerate an increase in equity value and increase profitable revenues. Phil Ives runs interactive, informal and entertaining sessions focused on what you can do to increase equity value; why doing this doesn’t necessarily involve increasing profits or revenue - and why it makes great sense even if you never plan to sell.

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Phil Ives

Phil Ives is a Partner in Assay Advisory UK Ltd, a hybrid consulting and corporate finance business which helps business owners to achieve clarity around the true value of their businesses; develop an ‘investor lens’ mindset and empowers them to accelerate to a transaction/event.

Today Phil supports a broad range of owner/managers and business leaders around the world in many different sectors – all of whom are serious about change, and restless to drive their organisations forward quickly, and to maximise the value of their work.

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Over nearly 20 years, Phil built and ran a number of highly successful B2B media companies across all continents and serving all major industries. Without exception, every business Phil has run or advised has enjoyed significant, rapid and sustained growth, even through the depths of major recessions. Two of his companies were ‘gazelles’ – technically speaking, businesses that grow at a minimum of 25% per year for at least five consecutive years. His final ‘proper job’ was to build GlobalData Plc alongside Mike Danson, whose first business, Datamonitor, sold for £502m.

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18th November 2020 UK Competitiveness and Innovation in Economic Recovery

With Dr Chris Brauer

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Based on his 2020 research into 1,500 organisations Dr Chris Brauer introduces blueprints for competitiveness and growth in UK organisations in the private, public sectors and different markets innovating through the pandemic crisis, Brexit, and the rapid acceleration of digitalisation. There will be a strong focus on the requirements for talent, tech, future readiness, and innovation in UK organisations, and with lots of other focus areas around opportunities and challenges.

Dr Chris Brauer

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Dr Brauer is a public academic and Director of Innovation in the Institute of Management Studies (IMS) at Goldsmiths, University of London. Dr Chris is a world-renowned researcher specialising in high-impact studies at the intersections of human behaviour, emerging technologies, and socioeconomic change. His research has featured in over 400 media outlets worldwide including the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, BBC Newsnight, BBC Click, CNN, CNBC, China Central TV, Forbes, USA Today, Globo, NPR, and the Sunday Times.

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‘Dr Chris’ brings to life his animated and energising public speaking engagements through data and real-world examples from his and other research on topics ranging from artificial intelligence automation and augmentation to digital transformation and behavioural economics. All of his research is conducted in collaboration with industry partners including leading research on the Science of Common Ground for the award-winning Heineken ‘Open your World’ campaign, exploring the Future of Experience with Adobe, analysing the impact of AI on jobs, tasks and workforce productivity with IBM Watson and IPSoft, leading Microsoft’s annual AI research since 2018, and conducting the world’s largest experiment on driver behaviour in 10 countries with Shell.

His current research activities include explorations seeking to resolve the ‘productivity paradox’ of organisations struggling to unlock the value of their AI and RPA investments, developing frameworks for the critical path to integrating Digital Skills into organisational workforces, and exploring the dimensions of industry competitiveness impacted by the Covid-19 global pandemic crisis.

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27th November 2020 Virtual Vistage Executive Summit Keynote and Member Awards

Sponsored by Seven Investment Management

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Keynote: to be announced Leading in Challenging Times

To bring timely, actionable data and insights, the Vistage Executive Summit will be presented as live, online Virtual Sessions with keynote speakers.

These are unprecedented times. There has never been a better time to be part of the Vistage community and leverage the resources and support available. The COVID-19 outbreak precludes us all from meeting in person this year, however, please join us for a unique Summit experience from the comfort and safety of your own home.

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Member Awards

Vistage’s greatest strength is the calibre of our community, and in particular our 23,000 members. Throughout their journey of leadership development, Vistage members routinely go above and beyond to support their employees, family and community. Help us recognise members leading the way. We wish to honour those members making decisions that embody the Vistage values of trust, caring, challenge and growth.

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Member Excellence Awards details and criteria: • Nominees in each category must currently be a Chief Executive, Key Executive or Small Business member • Chairs and members are eligible to nominate. • Winners are selected based on eligibility and the number of nominations. Each category will have a regional winner. • Winners in each category and region will receive: an award, inclusion on the Vistage website and recognition at the November Virtual Executive Summit.

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Vistage Leadership Award When you think of your fellow members, who stands out? Who consistently makes decisions that benefit their company, family and community? Who always shows up, and is a beacon of accountability to both self and peers? Who truly lives the Vistage values of trust, caring, challenge and growth? Your nomination for the Vistage Leadership Award recognises a member for their ongoing achievement. Encourage and honour the person who makes a difference in your group. * Nominees must be a member of Vistage for a minimum of one year at time of nomination.

Impact Award The pace of business growth and leadership development in our newest members can be staggering. The strongest members reach significant turning points within their first years with Vistage and make a lasting impact on their companies and communities. Recognise the remarkable development and achievement in a new member with a nomination for the Impact Award. * Nominees must be a member of Vistage for 1-3 years at time of nomination.

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Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievers are those members who have a track record of decisions whose benefits permeate company, community and beyond. They have been with Vistage for years and exemplify a spirit of continued growth and learning. They share their wisdom â&#x20AC;&#x201D; drawn from a deep well of experience â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to support their fellow members. They inspire. Your nomination for the Lifetime Achievement Award honours this commitment to learning and development, and a commitment to fellow Vistage members, every step of the way. * Nominees must be a member of Vistage for a minimum of one year at time of nomination.

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First Session

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Second Session

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2nd December 2020 Our 5.0 New Reality With Shivvy Jervis

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The pandemic has shown that now more than ever, we need to move towards more human-centred innovation - a state of affairs that award-winning Futurologist Shivvy Jervis terms ‘Humanity 5.0’. How can an inventor mindset and thinking like a futurist help leaders? And which emerging advances will keep our organisations progressive and profitable? This talk will unravel it all.

Shivvy Jervis

The next Internet, ‘digital human’ assistants, AR offices & Heartbeat ID – how might groundbreaking innovations such as these shape how we work, live and play? What mindsets must organisations adopt to keep pace with not just the Fourth Industrial Revolution but its future wave of Industry ‘5.0’?

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‘Human Potential’ and Innovation Futurist Shivvy Jervis is committed to sharing the most remarkable advances that will both advance humanity and change how we do business. Focusing not just on technology, she also uncovers the most meaningful breakthroughs from science, psychology and sociology.

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A four-time award winning trends forecaster and founder of ambitious forecasting lab FutureScape 248, Shivvy Jervis is cited by the World Economic Forum as “a thought leader beyond compare” and TED Talks as “having the remarkable capacity to uncover the truly relevant notions from all the noise”.

Jervis’ energised speeches on ‘human-perception’ AI, immersive workplaces, digital identity and the future Internet of Things have earned an astonishing 24 pieces of industry recognition. Britain’s Role Model of the year 2020, Influencer of the Year 2019 and Woman of the Year 2019 by public vote. In the first half of 2020 alone, Shivvy is envisioning the Future of global cities in 2040 for the office of the Mayor of London, keynoting for the United Nations and filming a new documentary on the most radical breakthroughs that will define this decade.

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9th December 2020 Culture in the Current Context With Dr Gustavo Grodnitzky

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During a time of crisis, corporate culture can make or break an organisation. In this presentation, Dr. Gustavo shares evidence of the financial success achieved by companies that focus on culture first. He then identifies the critical culture components – whether your employees are working in-person or remotely – to ensure employees are fully engaged and committed to your culture. Finally, he offers guidance on how to ensure your business culture can adapt to the current business context.

The current business context is proving to be a business extinction event for those businesses that cannot adapt to the current business environment. Sixty-five million years ago, there was a meteor strike on this planet that created the extinction of the dinosaurs… most of them. Birds, lizards, and frogs are all forms of dinosaurs that existed 65 million years ago. The ones we have with us today, are the ones that could adapt to the changing environment – the changing context. The same is true of businesses today. Our businesses are living in an equivalent time to the T-Rex. Our businesses must adapt or die.

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The presentation is data based, science driven, and continuously refined and updated because of the dynamic nature of the current crisis.

Dr Gustavo Grodnitzky

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Gustavo Grodnitzky has a Ph.D. in clinical and school psychology and has extensive experience in interpersonal communications, strategic planning, change management and development of organisational culture. Since 2000, Dr. Gustavo has focused on engagements with corporate clients and has worked with Global 1000 companies around the world, as well as with smaller, often family-run, businesses. As a professional speaker and consultant, he has delivered more than 2,000 presentations on topics including corporate culture, emotional intelligence, building trust in organisations and integrating multigenerational workforces. Dr. Gustavo has presented at national and international professional conferences, has written numerous manuscripts for publication and is often called on to review books and manuscripts prior to publication. His book, Culture Trumps Everything®, is available through Amazon and other online book retailers.

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Q2 2020 |June 8-15, 2020

CEO confidence plummets in pandemic-induced recession

Vistage CEO Confidence Index

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While the full impact of the economic shutdown occurred in April and May, the latest Vistage CEO Confidence Index data still reveals the devastating effects of the pandemic on SMEs. The Index plummeted to 66.3 in Q2 2020. Whilst every factor that comprises the Index dropped from last quarter, overwhelmingly the biggest decline was CEO sentiment about current economic conditions in the U.K.; 96% of CEOs report that the economy recently worsened. However, the outlook is brighter with only 52% believing that the economy will continue to worsen in the next 12 months.

Q1 2020 CEO Confidence Index report

0% < 1 MONTH

1 – 2 MONTHS

3 – 5 MONTHS

41%

29%

CEOs optimistic about the future of their business When asked about expectations for their business in 6 months, more than a quarter (28%) of CEOs surveyed feel their business will be stronger than before.

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20%

How long will your cash reserves continue to support your business?

6 – 12 MONTHS

> 1 YEAR

Source: Vistage CEO Confidence Index survey (note: don’t know =3%)

90% of members have cash reserves to last 3 months or more, which is healthier than the 50% for SMEs quoted in the recent Chamber of Commerce tracker.

Additional highlights include:  64% expect to maintain or increase staffing levels  72% of CEOs believe they have a robust return to work plan  The most significant leadership challenges facing UK bosses are Sales (23%), Growth and expansion (21%) and Personnel (18%)

51%

12%

Stronger than before

The results also found that the majority of business leaders, 59%, consider working from home a long-term solution for their business. A further 74% are considering increasing the number of flexible working options available in their workplace, including part-time hours and flexible working times.

28%

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79% of member businesses have managed to adjust their strategy in order to withstand the pressures from the coronavirus crisis. With these changes, 40% of companies now expect their business to either return to normal or to stronger than before.

Back to normal

Moderately weakened but regaining momentum Significantly weakened and fighting to rebuild

Source: Q2 2020 Vistage CEO Confidence Index, n=209 These findings represent data collected between June 8-15, 2020 from CEOs and other leaders of SME’s in the U.K & IRL.

Q2 2020

Vistage CEO Confidence Index Highlights

During the next 12 months, do you expect the overall economic conditions in the U.K. & IRL will be better, about the same, or worse than now?

Economy

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Compared with a year ago, have overall economic conditions in the UK & IRL improved, remained the same, or worsened?

About the same

Worsened Don’t know

96% 0%

Better

37%

About the same

11%

Worse Don’t know

52% 1%

Increase

40%

About the same

21%

Don’t know

37% 2%

improve

37%

About the same

23%

Worsen

Don’t know

38%

Increase

22%

About the same Decrease

Don’t know

30%

Increase

24%

About the same

32%

Decrease Don’t know

46%

Do you expect your firm’s total number of employees will increase, remain about the same, or decrease during the next 12 months?

Decrease

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Prospects

Do you expect your firm's profitability to improve, remain about the same, or worsen during the next 12 months?

Are your firm's total fixed investment expenditures likely to increase, remain about the same, or decrease during the next 12 months?

Expansion

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Do you anticipate that your firm's sales revenues will increase, remain about the same, or decrease during the next 12 months?

Improved

43% 0%

A CEOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide

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What now? Right now, every CEO’s No.1 job is to make the best decisions to get through these times of uncertainty while setting their business up for success once the storm has passed.

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As with any great challenge, there will be leaders who will find a way to adapt — and even excel. They’ll discover opportunities; they’ll lead with confidence; and the greater the challenges, the higher they’ll rise.

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This guide offers five distilled lessons learned over six decades of helping CEOs overcome adversity of all kinds while taking their businesses to new heights.

1. Get clear on where you are

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2. Communicate constantly and confidently 3. Manage your thinking (and your stress) 4. Seize opportunities for change

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Corinne Hancock

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Speaker and international aid worker VistageVistage Speaker and international aid worker who provides healthwho and provides health and Corinne Hancock entrepreneurial opportunities in countries withinlimited resources entrepreneurial opportunities countries with limited resources Vistage Speaker and international aid worker who provides health and entrepreneurial opportunities in countries with limited resources

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he research to determine what’s a real reat that’s perceived — then determine Reflection by fear and speculation.” act unclouded TheReflection key question bestselling author and expert on organisational health Patrick Lencioni asks CEOs to Reflection consider is: “What’s most important, right now?” The key question bestselling author and expert on

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3 A CEO’s Guide to Leading in Challenging Times A CEO’s Guide to Leading in Challenging Times

ities inorganisational countries with limited resources consider is: “What’s most important, righttonow?” health Patrick Lencioni asks CEOs

3 steps to gain clarity:

1. Assess the impact the crisis is causing your business.

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Vistage Speaker and Communications Media Coach

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“Right now, your words, your strength and your energy have the power to change the course of your business. Be that charismatic leader who your people can rally around at a time when coming together matters the most.”

2. Communicate constantly and confidently

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Communicate constantly and confidently

Your people want to see you when times are challenging, so be sure to

aff are concerned. They’re coming to you for answers. You may not have it all figured out, put your very isbest t’s OK. What’s important thatforward. you continue to communicate frequently, transparently and hetically. Be available as a leader — and be accessible.

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4 Guiding principles to engage your team: 1. Be authentic. Be you. Be available as a leader. You don’t have to act like you have all the answers; your team will appreciate your transparency. They want to see you be personable and real.

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2. Pump it up. People are craving energy. It gets them moving and acting. If you’re just not feeling it, here’s a tip: Play your favorite song right before you go on. Bring it with passion and strength. They’ll feel it.

3. Show gratitude and empathy. Thank your employees. Reach out to them individually. Find out if anyone is struggling or working especially hard, and send them a note of gratitude. 4. Express optimism. Have a clear vision beyond survival that allows ever one to be inspired about what the future can look like. Let your mission, vision and purpose be your “North Star.”

thinking (and your stress)

3. Manage your thinking (and your s 3. Manage your thinking (and your s

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for decision-making (as well as 3. Manage your thinking (and your stress) p. When you’re calm and clear, you Not only is negative thinking bad for decision-making (as well as Not only is negative thinking bad for decision-making (as well as ve way toonly getit’s into aleadership. more relaxed your health), it’sfor bad for leadership. When calm and clear,asyou your health), bad When calmyou’re and clear, you Not is negative thinking badyou’re for decision-making (as well a health), productive tone. One effective way get into relaxed a productive One effective way intoto a more relaxed yoursetset focus fromtone. the problem toto get your it’s bad for leadership. When you’re calma more and clear, you and positive headspace is to shift your focus fromfocus the problem to problem to and positive headspace is to shift your from the set a productive tone. One effective way to get into a more relaxed thethe solution. solution.

and positive headspace is to shift your focus from the problem to solution. Trythe asking yourself a series of questions that can move you from stions that move you from Try asking yourself serieslogic of questions that can move you from lower-levelcan thinking and a circular to a more elevated, lower-level thinking circular logic tothat a more mindset: ogicproductive to more elevated, Tryaasking yourself a and series of questions can elevated, move you from productive mindset: lower-level thinking and circular logic to a more elevated, productive mindset:

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These questions help push the lower brain’s thoughts aside and spark the top of the mind to provide clarity. These questions push the lower Most CEOs realise thathelp the answer to each is anbrain’s thoughts Theseand questions help push the lower thoughts aside sparkthen the top of mind tobrain’s provide clarity. emphatic no. They create thethe space to switch thegears lower brain’s thoughts aside spark thethat top of the mind provide to CEOs aand more productive, constructive mindset. ” is an clarity. Most realise the answer totoeach

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h theDr.mind to provide clarity. Most CEOs realise the answer eachtoisswitch an emphatic no. Theythat then create theto space Bill Crawford Psychologist, organisational consultant and 2019 Vistage Speaker emphatic They the space mindset. to switch” gears a no. more constructive answer totoeach isproductive, anthen create of the Year to a more eate gears theBillspace to productive, switch constructive mindset.” Dr. Crawford Psychologist, organisational consultant and 2019 Vistage Speaker Dr. Bill Crawford e, constructive mindset.” of the Year Psychologist, organisational consultant and 2019 Vistage Speaker of the Year

A CEO’s Guide to Leading in Challenging Times ltant and 2019 Vistage Speaker

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Ask yourself:

Am I reacting in a negative manner on purpose?

Is this way of responding helping me create the life/results I want?

Is this the way I want to be defined?

Would I teach or recommend this way of reacting to my children?

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Organise for the future

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When business slows down for th non-essential workers. While it m will also support future growth. Y to a more needed position. Or yo the case, treat people with integ with you.

More remote, less office

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With the help of technology, ma coronavirus outbreak. And that’s a lot of employees wondering “ca options before signing on, so it m

What isn’t working?

Look at your processes, your tech source of headaches and waste?

6 A CEO’s Guide to Leading in Challenging Times

4. Make changes Every challenge brings great opportunities — if you’re looking for them. Now is the time to take a step back, look at the lay of the land and future-proof your business so you emerge stronger than ever.

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Possible starting points:

Organise for the future. When business slows down for the foreseeable future, a CEO’s first impulse may be to immediately lay off or furlough non-essential workers. While it may be necessary to restructure your organisation for the near term, make changes that will also support future growth. You may future, have some great who could beor temporarily foreseeable a CEO’s first people impulse on mayyour be toteam immediately lay off furlough reallocated to a more needed position. Or you ablechanges to reduce be necessary to restructure your organisation for the near may term,be make that hours overall, instead of making wholesale layoffs. Whatever the case, may have some great people on your team who could be temporarily reallocated people integrity. When business up again, be may betreat able to reducewith hours overall, instead of makingcranks wholesale layoffs.they’ll Whatever . Whenfar business upjump again,back they’ll be far more more cranks likely to onboard withlikely you.to jump back onboard

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What isn’t working?

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More remote, less office? With the help of technology, many companies quickly pivoted to having employees work remotely during the coronavirus outbreak. companies pivoted employees remotely“how during the office Andquickly that’s got a lottoofhaving business ownerswork wondering much t a lot of owners Itwondering much office dowondering I really need?” It also has dobusiness I really need?” also has a“how lot of employees “can’t I work t I workremotely remotely more?” is, is, talent is increasingly asking for remote work more?”The Thetruth truth talent is increasingly asking for remote y be worth your while to consider a shift, even if it’s partial. work options before signing on, so it may be worth your while to consider a shift, even if it’s partial.

ology and your systems. What can be streamlined and upgraded? What has been a Look at your processes, your technology and your systems. What can hat technology have you wanted to pursue but haven’t had the time to learn?

be streamlined and upgraded? What has been a source of headaches and waste? What technology have you wanted to pursue but haven’t had the time to learn?

Make decisions, take action. Make decisions, take action. decisions, takethrough action. While it’s Make important to think decisions carefully, be sure not to get stuck

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While it’s important to think decisionsmore through carefully, sureofnot to get stuck in “analysis paralysis, ” which can happen easily during be times great change. While it’sReese important think decisions carefully, be to get stu in “analysis paralysis, ”advises whichtocan happen morethrough easily during times ofsure great change. Vistage CEO Sam business leaders to “focus on what can be not done “analysis ”everything whichbusiness can to happen more easily during times great chan CEO Reese advises to “focus on what can beofhave done todayVistage andinnot trySam to paralysis, connect aleaders longer-term strategy that may and after not try tostorm connect to ayour longer-term that maycan have Vistage CEO Sam Reese advises leaders to strategy “focus what be don to betoday revisited the haseverything passed.business With mission, visionon and purpose to be revisited after the storm has passed. your mission, vision and purpose today and not tryact to connect everything to a longer-term strategy that may ha guiding the way, you can with speed and With consistency. ” guiding therevisited way, youafter can the act with and consistency. to be stormspeed has passed. With your” mission, vision and purpo guiding the way, you can act with speed and consistency.”

Carve outout time. Carve time. outuptime. It’s easy toCarve get caught in emergency mode, especially during a crisis. But you

It’s easy to get caught up in emergency mode, especially during a crisis. But you still need to dedicate time to high-level, strategic thinking. Also, be sure you’re still need to dedicate time toup high-level, strategic thinking. Also, be sure you’re It’sofeasy to getFind caught in to emergency mode, especially during a crisis. But yo taking care yourself. activities rejuvenate you. taking care of yourself. Find activities to rejuvenate you. still need to dedicate time to high-level, strategic thinking. Also, be sure you’re taking careinofbusiness yourself.isFind activities to rejuvenate you. You get to create A slowdown or halt anis opportunity for for reinvention. A slowdown or halt in business an opportunity reinvention. You get to create a brand new normal for your company — one that is state-of-the art, focused a brand new normal for your company — one that is state-of-the art, focused A slowdown or halt in business is an opportunity for reinvention. You get to cr and efficient. and efficient. a brand new normal for your company — one that is state-of-the art, focused and efficient.

opportunities opportunities thatthat Identify five you take can take advantage you can advantage of during this time that opportunities of during this time of challenge. you can take advantage of challenge. of during this time of challenge.

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Assignment Assignment Assignment Identify five Identify five

5 Tech Tools to optimise the remote work experience: 1. Microsoft Teams: This tool combines video meetings, workplace chat, application integration and file storage into one platform, making collaboration far easier than emailing.

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2. OneDrive: This allows companies to backup all of their documents, giving employees instant access via the cloud so you can share files and changes instantly.

3. Trello: This online “corkboard” allows workers to visually track projects and organise tasks, notes, shared files, or a job’s progress.

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4. Skype and/or Zoom: Both are excellent tools for staff to meet with each other “faceto-face,” allowing for focused, productive video conversations. Zoom additionally offers screen-sharing capability. 5. Slack: Self-proclaimed “alternative to email,” Slack is an instant messaging platform that allows outsiders to join the team’s channels, connect tools and screen share.

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Brian Lauducci

CEO of Paylock IPT and member of a Vistage CEO Peer Advisory Group

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“You cannot Google, ‘What am I not doing that I should be doing?’ This is the essential question that gets addressed at my peer advisory group meeting. … You can think you are doing a good job, but inevitably you will be missing something.”

5. Lean in for support Decisions canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be made in isolation, especially when the pressure is on andcircumstances keep changing.

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CEOs who have a confidential environment to work out concerns, tackle challenges and explore opportunities are much better able to navigate challenging times. For example, during the Recession of 2008-2009, members who were part of a Vistage peer advisory group grew their businesses at a rate of 5.8% on average while other businesses either saw significant declines in growth or had to shut down altogether.

The power of peers

Within the confines of a confidential peer advisory group, executives can finally let their guard down. They can put any issue on the table for their peers to tackle. No topic is off-limits. If you are willing to talk candidly about the decisions you face, fellow members will rally around you and bring to bear every resource to help you grow as a leader and improve your business.

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VIstage CEO Sam Reese explains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Great leaders actively work to combat insular thinking and confirmation bias. They find other CEOs and business leaders who understand the nuances and challenges they are facing and who bring fresh perspectives, unhampered by institutional knowledge.â&#x20AC;?

Great leaders are better together when times are tough.

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While we believe in the timeless power of a Vistage Membership — especially when times are difficult — we understand you have a lot on your plate right now. Considering the state of affairs, we understand that having a conversation about our organisation may not be a top priority for you.

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However, we want to connect you with other leaders because we believe confiding in a group of peers who are going through a similar situation is one of the most valuable things you can do right now.

That’s why we’ve created free resources to empower you to tackle the challenges that all business owners are facing right now. You can access all of this information in our Knowledge Centre.

Visit Knowledge centre

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https://pages.vistage.co.uk/knowledge

All o ever stor

9 A CEO’s Guide to Leading in Challenging Times

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of Vistage us at Vistage wish you f All us at wish you success through yevery success through this this and beyond. mstorm and beyond.

Refer a fellow business leader Do you know someone who embodies the qualities of a Vistage member who would benefit from becoming a part of Vistage?

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Simply provide us their details by submitting a referral via the Vistage website at Vistage.co.uk/refer-and-nominate Who should be referred? Have you spoken to an MD, CEO or business leader who you think could benefit from Vistage membership? Let us know and you’ll be helping the wider Vistage community become stronger as the community grows.

What happens once I make a referral? Once your referral has been received, we will then do some checks to validate the referred candidate, that they meet the required standard for Vistage membership.

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Is my referral secure? Your nominees’ data isn’t shared, it’s securely stored and never passed onto third parties, confidentiality is at the very heart of what we do.

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Vistage: Transforming Together

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The last few months have been some of my toughest, and I know the same is true for many of you. Members across business sectors have spoken of their struggles and successes in the face of adversity and demonstrated impressive resilience and resourcefulness.

Geoff Lawrence Managing Director Vistage International (UK) Ltd.

Vistage is the world’s leading executive coaching organisation for small and medium sized businesses.

A new perspective can make all the difference

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I have heard stories of business owners transforming their business models overnight, and responding with great kindness of spirit to the NHS, social care sector and others most in need. Our content theme for this therefore is “Transformation together” which strongly reflects the value for many within the Vistage community. I hope you find this on-going programme useful.

For more than 60 years, we’ve been helping CEOs, business owners and senior executives solve their greatest challenges. Today, more than 24,000 members in 20 countries rely on Vistage.

Learn more at vistage.co.uk

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Sustained growth, even in times of financial uncertainty.

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Independent research shows that companies who join Vistage grow 2.2x faster than average small and medium sized businesses.

Vistage is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading executive coaching organisation for small and medium sized businesses. For more than 60 years, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been helping MDs, business owners and senior executives solve their greatest challenges. Today, more than 23,000 members in 20+ countries rely on Vistage.

vistage.co.uk