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Advice
It’s all about
margins
Networking expert Andy Lopata looks at
the rise of Chief Executive and Leadership
networks, and the benefits they offer business leaders
‘None of us is as smart as all of us.’ making a lot of mistakes. As the head of the to focus more on the softer skills of leadership,
organisation, there was no-one for him to which wasn’t a belief cherished by the Ameri-
Footdown’s strapline sums up the focus of bounce ideas off, or to be inspired by. In his can operators of TEC. So I left to set up the
an increasing number of Chief Executive and TEC group he found that he had a sounding Academy. The processes very similar to those
Leadership networks in the UK. There is a board for ideas. at Vistage, but the philosophy is very different.’
growing recognition that there is no need for For Jo Wright, a member of Footdown in Roger Harrop, a CEO Expert who has spo-
business leaders to plough on alone. Many Bath, the support of her Leadership group is ken to over 50 groups and is a former ACE
CEOs have discovered the benefits of working Speaker of the Year says, ‘I love working with
closely with others in a similar position.
‘Mentoring makes
these groups – the members are generally
Footdown is a mentoring and peer group highly motivated and totally trusting of their
organisation for entrepreneurs, directors and
you accountable’
fellow members. This means that meaningful
senior executives. It was founded by British discussion takes place, real actions are agreed
entrepreneur Andrew Mercer, who had sold his equally as important. When she joined, Jo had and each is held to account by the others.’
software company to the technology giant Or- moved through her organisation, Feilden Clegg Pilar Martinez-Vidal is the MD of Impulse
acle in 1998. Mercer felt that, with more sup- Bradley, to the position of Finance Partner, de- International, a global courier firm located
port at critical stages of the company’s growth, spite her training as an architect rather than as close to Heathrow Airport.
the its success could have been so much an accountant. ‘I wanted to focus more upon the future, but
greater, and perhaps ended in public listing. When the Senior Partners approached Jo to I was too entrenched in the day-to-day running
Sharing
become Managing Partner, the members of of Impulse. I felt overworked and isolated.
her Footdown group took her through an eval- When you are in such a position, you can’t
Mercer believed that the creation of a group uation process to help her decide whether the share doubts with your staff.’
environment for people in senior positions to position would be right for her and how to ‘Mentoring makes you accountable to
share their experiences, discuss challenges make it work, without losing touch with the somebody, which pushes you harder to
and offer solutions would help other people design side that brought her into the business achieve what you’ve set out to do. I have quar-
achieve more than he had been able to. in the first place. terly targets I set with my one-to-one mentor,
Footdown was not the first of its kind. ‘It’s given me more of a feel for the business which I have to report back on. In the group
Vistage International was founded as The side of the practice’, says Jo. ‘I now have a mentoring sessions, my peers act as my non-
Executive Committee (TEC) by Wisconsin much better insight into how businesses oper- executive directors.
businessman Robert Nourse in 1957 and now ate and are led.’ ‘It has helped me focus.’
has a worldwide presence. Richard Alberg was Having founded The Academy for Chief Ex-
a member of TEC for five years before he sold ecutives (ACE) in 1996, Brian Chernett has Andy Lopata is Vice President of the UK
his psychometric testing company in Novem- seen similar stories in leadership groups. ‘In Professional Speakers Association, a
ber 2006. He found the process invaluable. one group alone there have been nine mem- Director of the Word of Mouse network
‘When I joined TEC I did not have a strate- bers selling their businesses for more than and co-author of two networking books.
gic direction for my business,’ Richard says. £3m. They would tell you that this had a lot to Read more at www.lopata.co.uk
‘My objectives were growing the business do with the support and help of the group.’
while avoiding going bust. TEC helped me Brian formed ACE because he felt that A version of this article appeared in The
think about strategy and exit.’ TEC’s approach could be improved. ‘At the National Networker (www.thenationalnet-
Richard originally joined TEC because he time I was working for our major competitor – worker.com)
realised that he was learning on the job and TEC (Vistage) - and felt that there was a need
Business Matters issue 164 • 31
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