I am a proud member of Young President’s Organization (YPO), a leading network of 18,000 CEOs worldwide. We recently held our Global Leadership Conference and Summit in Denver, CO which brought together more than 2,000 CEOs from across the globe.
The Conference was excellent and offered education on a number of leadership and management topics. My entire life I have learned from experts, whether they be faculty from business school and college, to business and government leaders in their respective fields. I don’t know if you feel the same, but my most critical learning in my career and life in general has been from my peers. When I was in business school, I learned a number of intangibles from my classmates, such as Japanese and Korean culture, how the Iceland economy really works, and what it truly entails to be an entrepreneur. Hearing from experts and reading books can provide pertinent information, but I’ve always found the best education through listening to people, my peers, and learning from their experiences.
YPO leaders are not a homogenous group. They roughly divide into three categories: entrepreneurs, owners of family businesses, and “hired guns” (professional CEOs). Within these categories, YPO CEOs come from different cultures, walks of life, educational backgrounds, and essentially have divergent experiences. The common thread is that each YPOer runs an organization and faces significant issues in their respective businesses. The gathering of over 2,000 of these highly talented folks at the Conference was a terrific “learning” event. I really tried to listen to my peers and heed their advice on shared issues. Not only did I learn about business issues, but I absorbed geographical and culture experiences, such as hearing about the current environment in the Middle East.
You are never too old to learn something new every day. And whatever your peer group is, I’m certain you can find a wealth of knowledge around you. The only trick is you have to be willing to ask. During my life I have discovered that people around me have been most gracious with their time and thoughts, as long as I was willing to inquire. So, tap into your peer group. I guarantee it will help you grow.
Comments