Forums Foster Leading Thought

If you’re a business leader, chances are you’ve spent some time in the last year at your desk staring off into an abyss of frustration. Maybe your head was in your hands. Maybe you cried or cussed or prayed.

Maybe you got up and flung yourself headlong into the challenges facing a lot of businesses today; or you’re sitting there procrastinating because you don’t know what to do.

Whether you’re trying to overcome real market conditions or irrationality and fear, there’s still a lot of sketchy decision-making to deal with out there.

It could be that your business is thriving so well you’re struggling to keep up – a real problem for numerous companies in our region.

Probably though, you just wish you weren’t the only one expected to have all the answers. Welcome to management.

How valuable would it be to get ongoing confidential and inexpensive counsel, particularly from bright people outside your own myopic sphere, who could offer you and your organization a conduit for continuous growth? The CEO Forums of Arkansas provide just that.

The fee-based forums are administered by Grayrock Advisory Services in Fayetteville and consist of monthly gatherings of up to 12 non-conflicting peers in trust-centric settings. Their purpose is to provide collective “C-Suite” wisdom and expert speakers to help members “solve challenges and optimize opportunities.”

There are currently 26 members across three teams and a fourth is planned to start later this year in Fort Smith. Each group is being grown out over time as “right fits” are added. Existing member companies are listed at Ceoforums.us.

Harrison native Tim McFarland, president of Grayrock and a veteran of Jim Myers’ original trademarked CEO Forum in Phoenix, Ariz., facilitates the forums. A member of the Northwest Arkansas Council, McFarland is an accomplished financial industry expert and the founding chairman of both the Arkansas Venture Forum and Accelerate Arkansas.

Besides time at home with my wife and daughters, CEO Forum II is the best three hours I spend each month. We have a virtual “Super Friends” of industry experts representing diverse backgrounds and ages from legal and governmental sectors to development, media, clergy, engineering, transportation and technology.

The best explanation I’ve heard yet about CEO Forum is “the busier you are the more you need it.” Although it’s tough for him to make it up the mountain every month, Bill Hanna said getting fresh perspective on subjects he can’t always discuss openly elsewhere is worth the trip. Hanna, president of Hannah Oil & Gas Inc. in Fort Smith, was the first member of the local CEO Forum I when it started in 2005.

“It’s like when I was seven and needed to take a bath,” Hanna said. “I didn’t always want to make time to do it. But after I did, I was glad I did. It’s been a good investment for me.”

Brian Shaw is a managing partner in Fayetteville for diversified commercial real estate stalwart Sage Partners LLC and a member of CEO Forum II. He said our forum is the perfect environment to get “board of director-type feedback for a small business.”

“It also keeps me in tune with the most current business climate, both of which help our company serve our clients,” Shaw said.

It’s not for everyone though. If you’re not humble enough to listen, or smart enough to share, the ROI will be minimal for you and even less for the group.

There are also other places to “plug-in” with elite thinkers, and McFarland says the competition only makes everyone better.

For most leaders it’s about keeping step with the “pressure polka” of work, home, community service and the electronic leashes that tie us to the dance floor. Taking a breather to get better at servant leadership or distinguishing between fads and sustainable practices can be tricky if it’s not a priority.

Every business leader needs access to someone who can help them with challenges. Maybe CEO Forum or an outlet like it is what you’ve been looking for.