The Circle in practice

How The Alchemists Circle Works

The Alchemists Circle is an ongoing confidential peer-group membership for Business Owners, CEOs and Managing Directors who meet as equals.

It becomes your Personal Board: trusted people who understand the responsibility because they carry it themselves.

Members bring the decisions, challenges and opportunities that matter, and leave owning their decisions and actions.

Clarity : Decision : Action

Meet as equals

Members come together as equals, bringing different experience, knowledge and perspectives from many sectors.

This is not networking, a leads group, a mastermind, a course, a corporate board or performance theatre. It is a confidential room where you can speak honestly, test your thinking and remain responsible for the decision you make.

  • You value honest challenge and confidentiality.
  • You want respected equals rather than imposed answers.
  • You are prepared to share your experience and listen to others.
  • You make your own decisions and take responsibility for them.
  • You value time away from the day-to-day.
  • You want people who will support you and hold you accountable.

Your Personal Board

Bring what matters into the room

There is a solitude to being an owner or leader at the top of a business. Some decisions cannot be worked through openly with your team, board, family or advisers.

The Circle gives you a regular, confidential room where you can bring the decisions, challenges and opportunities that cannot always be discussed elsewhere, hear different perspectives and speak without performing.

Active Time Out is part of this: protected time away from the immediate demands of the day-to-day to work on yourself, your decisions and your business.

Business leaders in discussion around a conference table

Clarity : Decision : Action

Think, learn and decide

Experienced leaders from different sectors share perspective, ask questions and help each other see what may otherwise remain hidden. Peer learning and collaboration do the work.

Greater Clarity

Questions, challenge and different perspectives help you see the situation more clearly.

Greater Decision

You test your thinking with respected equals and form decisions you trust. The decision remains yours.

Greater Action

You act on what becomes clear, drawing more fully on your own experience, judgement and resources.

A member laughing during an Alchemists Circle meeting

Accountability

Leave owning what happens next

Members prefer to implement their own change and solutions, and like to be held accountable for doing so.

The room provides perspective, challenge, support and accountability. You make your own decisions and take responsibility for them.

You leave owning your decisions, your actions and what happens next, and you return to the room with what comes of them.

What protects the room

A confidential space, experienced rather than performed

Confidentiality, trust and respect create room for honest thinking without judgement or imposed answers. Alan chairs the room and protects the conditions for honest challenge.

Active Time Out

Protected time away from the day-to-day to work on yourself, your decisions and your business.

High Performance

A commitment to learning, adapting and drawing more fully on your own experience, judgement and resources.

Safe Space

Confidentiality, trust and respect create room for honest thinking without judgement or imposed answers.

Collaboration

Experienced leaders from different sectors sharing perspective, asking questions and helping each other see what may otherwise remain hidden.

Member evidence

Working with other business leaders can make businesses more profitable and faster growing.

Profit margins

Peer group

22.6%

Industry

10.2%

More than twice the profitability.

Members of business peer groups enjoyed operating margins of 22.6% per year against an industry average of 10.2%.

Revenue growth

Peer group

5.1%

Industry

1.62%

More than 200% faster growth.

Members experienced average revenue growth of 5.1% per year against an industry average of 1.62%.

*2018 Chief Executive Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

How your Personal Board works

An ongoing room of trusted equals.

The Circle is an ongoing membership for Business Owners, CEOs and MDs. Members return to the room regularly to work through the decisions, challenges and opportunities that matter.

Step 1

Meet Alan privately

Begin with a coffee and a confidential conversation about you, your business and what has brought you to the Circle.

Step 2

Establish mutual fit

The value of the Circle depends on trust, equality and the right mix of people. Alan will explain the current commitment and explore whether there is an appropriate place.

Step 3

Join your Personal Board

You join a confidential Circle of Business Owners, CEOs and MDs who meet as equals. Alan chairs the room and protects the conditions for honest challenge.

Step 4

Return to the room

Members return each month with the decisions, challenges and opportunities that matter. The room provides perspective, challenge, support and accountability.

A white mug of coffee stamped with the word BEGIN on a café table

Begin.

Meet Alan for a coffee.

The first step is a short, private conversation with Alan.

Tell him what has brought you to the Circle and what you are looking for from a Personal Board. Alan will explain how the Circle currently works and explore mutual fit with you.

There is no sales sequence. Your message goes directly to Alan and remains confidential.

Meet Alan for a Coffee