Preparation and What’s at Stake for CEOs

A few weeks ago, I enjoyed a lengthy conversation with one of my favorite fellow speakers, Gair Maxwell. Gair is a former Vistage and TEC Canada Speaker of the Year and author of Big Little Legends: How Everyday Leaders Build Irresistible Brands. We had not spoken in a while, yet after catching up, it didn’t take long to for us to engage in the familiar deep dive that so often characterizes our exchanges. On this day, we focused on the value of preparation and attention to detail.

Between us, we have spoken to no fewer than 2,000 peer advisory groups. As a result, we shared our common experiences regarding the lack of preparation for group meetings among CEOs and business leaders. We don’t come to this conclusion based solely on our observations or assumptions. Group members readily admit that this is the least prepared they show up to any meeting on their calendar.

To be fair, many of these members don’t typically see their group meeting as something they must prepare for. To them, it’s different than getting ready for a board meeting, client presentation, or all-staff gathering. When it comes to their CEO group, they are the CEOs of their respective companies, who believe they are already well prepared to talk about their businesses intelligently and ask good questions of their fellow members about theirs. While that seems reasonable on its face, there’s more involved here.

During my exchanges with group members about preparation, one member often points to another and says, “While most of us don’t prepare, you come across as better prepared for this meeting than any of us. How long does that take you?” Unless the member is hosting the meeting, the most common response I hear is 15-20 minutes. They read their notes from the previous meeting, review the upcoming agenda, familiarize themselves with the speaker that month, (if there is one), identify any challenges, opportunities or decisions they plan to present, and clear their minds so they can be fully present during their time together.

Occasionally, a member will ask his colleagues, “How about we all agree to spend 15-20 minutes preparing to see if it makes a difference?” For those who make this commitment, it’s not uncommon for me to hear from the group leaders several months later that the quality of the meetings went up substantially. The stronger the outcomes the more likely they will lean into their preparation even harder.

Here’s Why Preparation Matters So Much 

While daylong group meetings may have a speaker for half the day, the content of the meeting for their remaining time together is up to the forum leader and the members, and on non-speaker days, they own the content for the entire 8 hours. Given this fact, it stands to reason that taking time to prepare will promote richer content and deliver better overall value.

Preparation also drives meeting attendance, increases psychological safety, and inspires more active member participation. I know that if I take time to prepare for a meeting, it’s unlikely I won’t show up for it. As for psychological safety, it’s not different from the high school kid who doesn’t do his homework, only to sit among his classmates the following day in fear of being called on and called out. The student who completed his assignment and enjoys a reasonable command of the subject matter feels safer and more likely to participate actively. Great group meetings require everyone to be at their best and play all in; it’s a sight to see when they do.

What it Takes to Be World Class 

During my conversation with Gair, we talked about the elite teams, coaches, and individual athletes whose performances are etched into our brains. By the same token, we don’t always see or appreciate what was involved in preparing those teams and individuals to play at such a high level.

In Super Bowl XLIX, on the game’s last play, the Seattle Seahawks sought to surprise the New England Patriots with a quick pass play to score the winning touchdown. The Patriots had actually practiced defending that play earlier in the week, and not very successfully, as I understand it. Yet when it mattered most, the defense recognized the offensive formation and knew what was coming. Malcolm Butler stepped in and intercepted the pass, and the rest is history. It was a fantastic play that only great preparation made possible. It was the difference between winning the Super Bowl and not.

Think of the number of times you watched a 19-20-year-old college basketball player stand at the free throw line in front of thousands of fans and millions of television viewers, needing to make two free throws to win a national championship. The thought of missing those shots doesn’t hijack the players who succeed in those situations. They lean into the hard work they’ve done that brought them to that moment. They’ve made tens of thousands of free throws in practice – the ones we don’t see that gave them the ability and the confidence to deliver. That’s how they thrive under pressure.

Why Preparation Matters For You 

When it comes to the sports examples I described, it’s only a game. High-profile games, but a game, nonetheless. For CEOs and business leaders, the stakes are much higher. You have lives in your charge who depend on you. The question shouldn’t be whether you are preparing well, it should be: Am I (we) preparing enough to be at our very best?

Great forums, teams, athletes, key executives, military leaders, healthcare professionals, and speakers share a relentless commitment to their preparation. I know Gair does. Thanks for the conversation!

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