by Steve Terusaki, MBA 89, Haas Alumni Forums Director
As one climbs the corporate ladder, it can become quite lonely at each higher rung. Leaders often face unique challenges and bear immense responsibilities in this climb to the top. Success, which should be rewarding, can often result in not having trusted cohorts with whom you can bounce ideas in open discussions. There is an expectation that leaders should have all the answers; should be able to navigate uncharted territory; and make pivotal decisions that can lead to future success, or catastrophic failure. This burden of responsibility coupled with isolation can often lead to stress, burnout, and being “frozen” with an inability to move forward.
The Value of Peer Forums Peer forums have emerged as a valuable platform to counter the feeling of isolation and the lack of trusted cohorts. Forums are created with individuals who bring similar levels of responsibility and leadership experience to others who have yet to reach those positions. They provide a setting for candid conversations, a place for fresh perspectives where one can become part of a circle of trusted cohorts. In essence, forums are your own personal board of directors, offering guidance and support when it is needed the most.
A Trusting Circle
Central to peer forums is the element of trust. Trust is built on the strict confidentiality that is honored in forums. By religiously keeping confidentiality as a key tenet of the forum, individuals can feel comfortable in opening-up and discussing things that they cannot do in any other setting. Forum becomes not only a “safe” space, but also a “brave” space where conversations in the 5% can happen – the 5% that are the most fearful as well as the 5% that are the most joyful aspects of one’s life. This openness and vulnerability together with the respect and non-judgmental tenets of Forum generate the high-level of trust that exists between forum members. The result is that Forum provides the space for unfiltered conversations, a rarity in the world of leadership.
For the new member, an Orientation Session is conducted before attending the first group Forum meeting. The session introduces the new member to Forum Principles and Rules of Engagement. It also lays out what to expect in a typical meeting including Updates, Clearing-the-Air, the Parking Lot, and Presentation formats.
A general discussion on the make-up and culture of the Forum can include details on the expectations and levels of openness and vulnerability expected by each member.
With current Forums, one of the goals is to have all discussions “be in the 5%.” Being in the 5% means the 5% of conversations that are the most impactful in one’s life, both on the top end (joyous celebrations) and on the bottom end (worst fears and concerns) that are typically not easily discussed with anyone else.
Diverse Perspectives
Each forum is designed to gather a diverse set of individuals who come from various industries, various career positions and career experiences. Additional selection criteria include seeking a range of ages, gender identities, and ethnicities to bring diverse perspectives to this “melting pot” that is a forum group. This diversity perspective challenges each member to “Question the Status Quo” by promoting novel solutions; promotes each one to continuously learn to be a “Student Always”; to think about the “bigger picture” and go “Beyond Yourself”; and to be “Confident” yet come to Forum without an “attitude.”
Working On the Business rather than In the Business
Peer forums encourage leaders to take a step back and evaluate the bigger picture. They force leaders to get out of the everyday “firefighting” mode of task-oriented efforts and spend time to reflect on strategies and priorities that are important for the long-term direction of the business. When seen on a personal level, it changes the focus from the “to do” list to bigger picture issues of purpose and passion and a long-term vision of where your should be headed.
Accelerated Learning
Being part of a peer forum allows you to tap into a collective knowledge base. By leveraging the experiences and insights of others, you can expedite your learning curve, avoiding costly mistakes.
At Haas Alumni Forums, we are dedicated to helping all members become better leaders, make better decisions and get better results through vulnerability and trust. We believe that the greatest value to any individual is having others share their experiences around a current challenge, all part of the accelerated learning aspect of forums.
If you are seeking to find a group of individuals who you can have conversations with about what matters most in your life, please “like” this post and share to your colleagues.
If you’re ready to learn more about the Haas Alumni Program, click here.
About Haas Alumni Forums
Haas Leadership Forums are comprised of 8-12 alumni who meet monthly—currently online only—to gain perspective and insight on the challenging issues they face as business leaders.
Forums are confidential settings where open discussion can lead to transformational professional and personal growth.
Find more information about the program:
