Greater Clarity
Questions, challenge and different perspectives help you see the situation more clearly.
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.
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 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.
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.
Peer-network 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%.
These figures compare Chief Executive Network members with their industry peers. They are not claimed results for members of The Alchemists Circle and do not guarantee future performance.
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 room of equals
Members meet as equals.
There is no hierarchy, no posturing and no selling.
No one in the room needs you to reach a particular answer. Members can ask what others cannot, share what they see and bring experience without taking ownership of your decision.
The decision remains where it belongs.
With you.
Not another board of advisers
A corporate board governs the business. A Non-Executive Director carries formal duties. An adviser or consultant brings professional expertise. A coach usually works with you one-to-one. Networking creates relationships and opportunities.
The Alchemists Circle is different.
It is a confidential room of experienced peers who meet as equals. They do not run your business or make the decision for you.
They bring questions, perspective and hard-won experience.
You retain ownership of the decision, the action and what happens next.
Begin.
Some conversations need a room of equals.
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.