The Top 10 Vistage Blogs of 2018

In an effort to put the year into perspective before Christmas descends, we've tapped into the minds of our members, speakers and Chairs to uncover the biggest challenges business leaders faced in 2018 and how they tackled them.

These 10 blogs encompass the breadth of topics we've covered this year. Each contains practical advice for business leaders looking to learn from the last 12 months and use this knowledge to start 2019 on the upswing.

From the best techniques to manage your employees, to more profound and detailed pieces offering advice on everything from mental health issues to introverted leadership; these are the 10 blogs that our members have learnt the most from this year.

1 – Vistage Chair Adam Harris on the Life-changing Role of Vistage Groups

As the company's youngest UK chair (and the third youngest globally), Adam Harris is perfectly placed to examine how working with Vistage has changed his life. With a keen entrepreneurial spirit to draw from, Adam worked his way up the ladder from Sainsbury's trolley boy to CEO of the Technology Channels Association in just a handful of years. He shares the story of how Vistage first came into his life, what he feels makes the perfect Vistage chair, and the value that Vistage has lent his eclectic endeavours.

2 – 5 Common Traits of the Best Business Leaders

Who better to ask about the traits of great business leaders than Vistage Chairs - hugely experienced business leaders themselves and those that deal with groups of leaders every month? Here we explore the 5 key traits that most great business leaders share - from Elon Musk to Nelson Mandela - and how business leaders should be developing and nurturing them if they wish to emulate the success of the greats.

3 – Don't be a Hero: How the 'Superleader' Hinders Business Growth

In a world that worships heroes, we examine how the concept of putting an individual on a pedestal can actually be rather toxic in today's more complex and multifaceted business world. Because it doesn't matter how brilliant a person might be; one person can't possibly do everything and putting that burden on their shoulders could seriously hinder business growth for a number of reasons.

4 – The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Family Business

The same things that have made family businesses successful (the loyalty and personal relationships) can also make them difficult to sustain in the long term, with fewer than 10% surviving past the second generation. We take a balanced approach to the topic and examine the unique strengths and weaknesses of the family business in order to help leaders understand what to capitalise on and what to cut loose.

5 – Proactive or Reactive Leadership: Which is Most Effective in the Workplace?

Whilst proactive skillsets are generally perceived as being the more useful and desirable in modern business, having a reactive approach can still be advantageous in certain situations. We examine the characteristics of both leadership styles and the importance of understanding (and owning) whichever side of the divide you might naturally fall on.

6 – What to do if One of Your Senior Leaders Suffers a Mental Health Issue

Mental health is a topic that has been buried just beneath the surface for years, particularly in business, where high-stress environments can exacerbate underlying issues. Matthew Whitfield, a former Royal Navy fighter pilot and founder of executive coaching company, 7 Miles a Minute, believes that it’s the person at the top of the organisation that sets the tone for the rest of the business. He explains how business leaders should be helping team members that might be struggling with these issues and how, as the leader, your mental wellbeing is vital to the wellbeing of your team.

7 – We Need to Start Talking About Personal Balance

Too often we talk about our work/life balance when really, this balance is a bit of a misnomer. In reality, our work lives and our personal lives do not occupy completely opposite spaces. Indeed, the line is less tangible now than ever before, with our work and personal stresses often finding themselves overlapping. Business leaders should stop worrying about balancing their work personas with their 'Saturday night' personas, and focus instead on finding a personal balance.

8 – Remember Why We're Here

It's an old adage, but a true one nonetheless: There is no “i” in team. The mission is always fundamentally what matters most, and it's this focus on the big picture that can often get lost as we're promoted into upper management. By drawing parallels between a modern business leader and Mission Control, former NASA Flight Director, Paul Sean Hill, makes some interesting points about the importance of aligning an organisation behind one clear purpose.

9 – What Your Onboarding Documentation Really Tells New Talent

When you’re bringing in new talent, it's important that they are reading from the same hymn sheet as your existing employees. But what if that hymn sheet is missing a few words? Getting the documentation right might not be a particularly 'sexy' topic, but it's something many business leaders overlook. We underline the 10 pieces of documentation that all employers should have to hand for new hires.

10 – Being a Leader When it Doesn't Come Naturally

We are not all born leaders. For some, leadership is thrust upon us and we're left to cope with a situation that simply doesn't come naturally to us. Introverted business leaders are more common than you'd think. Humility, thoughtfulness and patience are all traits associated with introverts - and they’re very powerful traits if properly utilised. In a world that celebrates noise, rational and analytical minds are needed more than ever.

To say 2018 has been a tumultuous year would be an understatement. However, in a global era where uncertainty looms large and markets can change in a flash, business leaders need to be able and willing to adapt and change with the times. If the blogs above had one common denominator, it would be this underlying desire and genuine need for adaptability and personal growth to drive business success into 2019 and beyond.