it's the science that allows the alchemy to happen"

Chief executives are telling us that there has been an undeniable shift in the landscape since the GFC over a decade ago, and to succeed in an environment that is characterised by increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity they need to be able to learn and adopt new methods. The ability to embrace change and to engineer it requires a new leadership style that is driven by constantly challenging the paradigms and finding new ways. Leaders believe that they now must take a bold approach to creativity, innovation and operational dexterity to elevate their organisation to greatness as the consequences of getting it wrong could be catastrophic.

WHAT WE DID...

With that challenge in mind, what we did was look at the solutions being offered to help Chief Executives and business leaders solve their most pressing issues.  We were very impressed by the effectiveness of peer learning in a traditional MBA program and said what if we could make that event exclusive to the Chief Executive. We found that peer learning had been around since the 1930s and worked on the pretence that if you put a group of like-minded people in a room together they’d create mutual benefit and drive change.

WHAT WE FOUND...

However... what we found... was that regardless of who was in the room... their titles... and the organisations they led, without an underlying structure to support diversity in thought and currency in the conversation as well as linkages back to crystal clear individual and group objectives, what was being delivered was nothing more than the most intellectually stimulating waste of time for a Chief Executive... Sure there were some learnings from time to time but not that consistently related to the objectives.

Harvard Business Review - A study undertaken in 2015 revealed that CEOs with peer mentors; (1) were certain that their company performance had improved; (2) saw themselves as making better decisions; (3) believed they were more capably fulfilling shareholder expectations; and (4) believed peer mentors had helped them avoid costly mistakes and become more proficient in their roles more quickly, the authors of the study categorically found that the success of peer mentoring required structured sessions with explicitly intended benefits and the ability to use storytelling as a key way to share knowledge.

WHAT WE NEEDED...

So what we needed was a learning platform based on mutual respect and mutual accountability, where leaders come to the table with burning ambitions that cannot be achieved in isolation, and through deep profound questioning and harnessing the collective energy and wisdom in the room enables them to find new ways to succeed. A Peer Advisory Board or Think Tank if you will for the most discerning leaders to assist each other in solving their most pressing business issues and concerns by learning through each other's trials and tribulations. An environment where “the rubber truly hits the road”.

The development of our proprietary SAGE™ Leadership Framework heralds a new horizon in executive peer learning and accelerated leadership development. SAGE which of course means wise, learned, perspective and astute also at 2020 Exchange stands for science, alchemy, governance and entrepreneurism. The framework helps identify current and future market trends and extends our programs ‘line of sight’ by having a better understanding of the challenges being faced by leaders so that we can introduce more relevant stimuli, expert resources and other profound experiences that support much deeper conversations and connections leading to better analysis and understanding. The science is the management, processes, systems and frameworks... and the alchemy, is finding new ways to do things, experimentation and transformation. It’s therefore the science that allows the alchemy to happen.

THE RESULT WAS...

The result was... a 2020X Peer Advisory Board or 'Think Tank' if you like, intimately and meaningfully connecting its members by having very clear individual and collective purpose and objectives supported by a strategic plan and a learnings matrix that relates directly to the future success of it’s Chief Executives and the organisations they lead. Monthly agendas that are linked back to the plans of the group; quarterly, bi-annually, annually and beyond and results that are relevant to the individual Chief Executive as well as the collective ambitions of the group.

The most intellectually stimulating, profound and compelling event in a Chief Executive’s month.  The event that acts as a dynamic catalyst for change; or in other words, positively influences your capacity to act.

See also OUR PHILOSOPHY