Beyond networking: How peer advisory gives CEOs the edge

For many Australian CEOs and business owners, leadership can be an isolating role. You might have a strong team internally, but few people who truly understand the weight of your decisions. While traditional one-on-one coaching can sharpen skills and offer perspective, more and more leaders are seeking something richer – a circle of trusted peers who challenge, support, and inspire them to lead at their best.

That’s the Vistage difference. It’s not just another networking group, it’s about having the right people around you. A Vistage peer advisory group functions as your personal challenge group: a place where ideas are tested, blind spots are revealed, and decisions are strengthened through the power of shared experience.

Traditional coaching is often:

• Highly personalised—one-to-one sessions focused on your goals and challenges
• Flexible—tailored to fit your schedule and immediate needs
• Confidential—a safe space to reflect on leadership style and decisions

This can be valuable, especially for targeted development. But it relies solely on the coach’s perspective, without the collective insight that comes from sitting at the table with other leaders who face similar stakes.

Vistage blends peer-to-peer learning with one-on-one mentoring from an experienced Chair. Each group brings together 12–16 CEOs and senior executives from non-competing industries. Every month, members gather in a confidential, structured environment to work through real challenges and opportunities.

You don’t just meet people, you build an inner circle that actively questions, refines, and strengthens your thinking.

Graham Morgan, Vistage Chair:
“As a Chair, I love guiding the group to challenge and explore a fellow member’s issue or opportunity—and seeing the power of the group help that member pivot and see a new root cause.”

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Unlike traditional networking, which often stops at surface-level connections, Vistage groups are built for depth and candour. Other member has walked in your shoes, understands the stakes, and has no agenda other than to help you succeed.

• Right people, right room: Members are carefully matched to ensure diverse expertise, relevant experience, and no competitive conflicts.
• Challenge without judgement: Honest conversations where members can be direct, because the intention is growth and clarity.
• Shared accountability: When you commit to action, your peers will expect to hear how you followed through.

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Vistage members often report benefits that extend far beyond any single business challenge:

• Better decision-making thanks to multiple informed perspectives
• Greater clarity on strategic priorities
• Confidence under pressure—knowing you’ve tested your thinking against experienced peers
• Expanded problem-solving capacity through exposure to approaches from other industries
• Support for both business and personal leadership challenges in one trusted environment

Kate Chalk, Vistage Chair:
“Throughout my career I’ve experienced the power of open dialogue and embracing diverse viewpoints to solve challenges—and having access to a confidential peer group takes leadership development up another notch.”

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Australia’s market dynamics—spanning regional challenges, global competition, and shifting regulations, require leaders to be adaptable and informed. A Vistage peer group offers locally relevant insight with the added strength of global perspective. And because you meet regularly with the same high-calibre group, relationships deepen, trust grows, and the advice becomes sharper.

Jon Lindsay, Vistage Chair:
“Vistage gives its members the confidence and support network to make smarter and better decisions. It challenges its members, while giving them a safe environment to take action. It’s an opportunity for leaders to learn from each other and grow in ways they never knew possible.”

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Coaching gives you targeted guidance. Networking gives you contacts. Vistage gives you both—plus the sustained challenge, support, and perspective that only comes from being surrounded by the right people.

A Vistage peer advisory group is your personal board of trusted advisors, committed to helping you make better decisions, seize bigger opportunities, and lead with greater confidence.