Brian Yui, co-founder of Sage Executive Group and a serial entrepreneur himself in the travel and real estate fields, explains why chief executive officers and San Diego entrepreneurs in leadership positions can benefit from frank discussions with their peers about the thorniest of problems.
“The main reason is that a lot of the issues they may encounter would be inappropriate to discuss with subordinates,” Yui says. “Because they’re at the top, there’s no one else at the company who has the same experience and needs as the CEO. For this reason, other CEOs fill the gap that employees at the office and friends don’t. Peers who are in similar positions in other industries can guide other CEOs.”
And he describes how Sage is tailored to time-driven executives from C-level to CEO.
“The most important thing is that CEOs have very limited time. It’s a good idea to research which peer advisory group is best suited for your goals and personality, as well as how much time each group requires for your participation. Some of the bigger ones have a required social component, such as annual retreats and social functions; other groups are just business. Some groups meet for 8 hours a month, some are for 5 hours a month. Also, some of the peer organizations, like ours, provide peer advisory boards for their C-suite executives. We have one for sales and marketing, one for COOs and CFOs, and one for Business Development. They get together once a month, at a much reduced price, to help each other grow in their C-level executive positions.”