Leo Bottary explains how CEOs who survived 2008 weren't necessarily stronger, just better prepared. Luck is preparation meeting opportunity. Vistage peer groups keep leaders ready by providing early warnings, honest feedback, and accountability from peers who push back.
In the book, we have a number of stories, for example, from the 2008 financial crisis. And most of the CEOs who have stories to be told in that book will say that they didn't survive or thrive because they were better-run companies than their competitors, some of whom went out of business. but they were better prepared. To be around a group of people that can help you prepare, it's a little bit like if the hurricane is coming and if you're left with only being able to look out the window, you're not going to have much warning. You need to be able to, I think, stand on the shoulders of your other CEOs to get a better vantage point.
When I educate our members about agility, one of the factors that's huge in agility is luck. Luck is a lot less random than you think. And of course, many of the quotations that we've all heard come up, not least of all, you know, "Luck is where preparation meets opportunity." But the trouble is, most people are underprepared. Whereas the trick these days is to be ever prepared. But that's a lot of the most valuable work that we do in a Vistage group, is to help our members stay on the front foot, never get caught flat-footed. Flat-footed, never get caught on the back foot, be ever prepared for what might be taking shape next. And that only happens if they're open enough, trusting enough, they're transparent enough to really hear each other, really challenge each other, really hold each other accountable to not get stuck seeing the world a certain way, thinking about the world a certain way. And, and continuing to do what they've always done. No, it's not the strongest who survive, it's the most adaptable.
The problem is not everyone knows they're underprepared, and unless you're around a group of peers who can point that out for you, you're not always going to be aware of that. So I think in terms of surrounding yourself with really good people who are committed and dedicated and as talented as you are when it comes to the goal you want to achieve, that's really what it's all about. None of us has to go it alone. If you are as willing to be helpful to others, you will get that back manyfold. It's one of the real advantages of peer advantage, and of course it's what can make you more agile in an organization.
