Leading an agility journey can often feel lonely. These days, especially, there’s plenty of complexity, and rapid change—what we’ve come to know as VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) or even the newer BANI framework (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible).
Building and growing a consulting/advisory business in the agility/product/scaling field also provides plenty of VUCA and BANI.
Peer groups, like Masterminds or the Forums used in the Entrepreneur Org (EO) / Young Presidents Org (YPO) / Vistage, offer an interesting approach to supporting individuals navigating these challenges.
Last year, I took the time to explore the Peer Group concept in more depth, exploring how it can help me serve leaders on their agility journey. I connected with Mo Fathelbab, who founded the International Facilitators Organization (IFO), and became an IFO Facilitator.
Why Peer Groups for Leaders Navigating the Frontiers of Agility?
With their emphasis on empathy, vulnerability, confidentiality, and sharing experiences rather than prescribing advice, here’s why I’m thinking this might be interesting in our world:
- You want to steer your ship but also crave meaningful feedback from peers who understand your challenges.
- You need a safe space to share wins, struggles, and ideas without judgment or competition.
- You benefit from learning through others’ experiences rather than theoretical advice.
If this approach resonates, I encourage you to check out my recent conversation with Mo on The Heart of Business. In it, I share my journey toward becoming an IFO facilitator and how peer groups have influenced my thinking about leadership and collaboration.
Here’s what Mo and I explored on the podcast:
- Learn from My Journey: Hear how I transitioned from tweaking computer systems to transforming organizational systems, blending technical expertise with human dynamics.
- Build Trust in Leadership Teams: Discover how vulnerability-based trust can strengthen decision-making and foster open, productive conversations.
- Embrace Flexibility with Trail Maps: Find out why I advocate for “trail maps” over rigid roadmaps to empower teams and navigate uncertainty effectively.
- The Power of Shared Experiences: Understand why sharing personal experiences, rather than giving advice, helps preserve autonomy and fosters growth.
- Unlock Agency in Your Organization: Explore the importance of creating structures that enable autonomy and mastery for individuals and teams.
- Reconnect Through Human Moments: Learn why I believe in the value of building connections through shared meals and in-person interactions, even in a remote-first world.
- Join My Vision for Peer Groups: Get inspired by my plans to create peer groups where leaders can share experiences, tackle challenges, and grow together.
- Navigate Change with Confidence: Hear my approach to helping organizations adapt to large-scale transformations like agile or AI integration.
Listen To The Heart of Business Podcast