Are you building the company you know you're capable of?

I’ve been part of other programmes before - how is Business Leader genuinely different?

Most programmes are content-led, expert-led or primarily focused on networking. Business Leader is peer-led and deliberately structured around three core aspects: building the leader, equipping the business, and sustaining progress over time.

The value comes from being challenged, understood and held to account by peers facing similar scale, responsibility and complexity - not from exchanging contacts or attending one-off sessions. Membership is curated rather than open-access and designed for depth rather than volume. It’s the combination of these three pillars, working together over time, that makes the experience meaningfully different.

Which kind of businesses get the most from the Growth Programme — and who doesn’t?

The Growth Programme is designed for founders and CEOs of established UK businesses (£3m+ revenue) who are navigating scale, leadership complexity or key strategic inflection points. It tends to work best for leaders who are willing to engage openly with peers, reflect on their decisions, and apply insight between sessions.

It is less suitable for early-stage founders (£0 - £3m) seeking hands-on execution support, or for those looking for prescriptive advice rather than shared perspective. As a peer-led experience, the value compounds over time - members who contribute thoughtfully and prioritise the space consistently tend to gain the most from it.

Is this more about discussion, or about making real progress on my business?

The discussions are the mechanism - progress is the aim. Forums are structured to move beyond surface conversation into practical reflection, clearer strategic thinking and more confident decision-making. Members bring live challenges, not hypotheticals, and use the space to test assumptions, sense-check direction and learn from others who have navigated similar paths.

Rather than prescribing answers, the Growth Programme provides a proven pathway for making better decisions over time. What creates progress is how insight is applied between sessions. The impact of the programme is often felt in both leadership confidence and business direction.

Will I be one of the more experienced businesses in the room – or feel ‘behind’?

Forums are curated holistically, with revenue stage being just one consideration rather than the defining factor. Members are typically placed alongside businesses that are both slightly smaller or slightly further ahead but navigating comparable leadership and strategic pressures.

We loosely categorise businesses as professionalising, scaling or fortifying, and aim to create forums where experiences are both relatable and transferable across those stages. What matters more than headcount or turnover is whether members can learn from one another’s business journeys, not just their outcomes. If you’re comfortable both contributing and learning, the Growth Programme will suit you.

How can the Growth Programme support my business growth?

The programme supports better judgement - helping leaders make more confident decisions, set clearer direction and maintain momentum as their business evolves. Through the combined focus on building the leader, equipping the business and sustaining progress, members gain space to think clearly, test assumptions and learn from peers’ lived experience.

The impact is often cumulative rather than immediate, showing up in reduced reactivity, greater strategic clarity and more consistent progress over time.

Is this a fixed programme, or does the experience evolve over time?

The structure is consistent, but the experience evolves with you and your business. What you need from membership in your first year may be very different from later years. Forums, 1-1 coaching focus and how you engage with our member events and content often change as your business and leadership context shifts. The Growth Programme is designed to be adaptive and evolutionary, rather than fixed. We are always happy to discuss your ongoing membership needs during your time in the programme.

What does the forum curation process consist of, and what if I don’t feel it’s the right fit?

Forum curation is a structured conversation with the membership team, held once you’ve been qualified for membership. Its purpose is to ensure you are placed in a forum where the experience will be most relevant and valuable.

During this call, we gather strategic discovery - including your 12-month goals, primary challenges and what success looks like for you - alongside future planning considerations such as succession planning and longer-term exit intentions. We also refine qualitative detail around your stage of business, sector focus and ambitions.

This information allows us to curate forums holistically, balancing comparable challenges, perspectives and stages of growth. Forum fit is treated as an ongoing consideration, not a one-off decision, and is revisited if your context or business circumstances change over time.

What does “peer-led” actually mean in practice?

Peer-led means members learn primarily from each other within forum meetings, not from a central authority. Facilitators guide the process, not the content. There’s no hierarchy in the room, and no expectation that anyone has the ‘right’ answer. The value comes from shared experience, thoughtful challenge and collective reflection, rather than instruction.

How often do forums meet, and what if I miss one?

Forums meet every 4-6 weeks, with dates confirmed in advance. Members are expected to attend at least 90% of forum meetings and to treat them with the same priority they would a board meeting. This consistency is what allows trust, accountability and meaningful progress to build over time.

We recognise that leadership roles can be unpredictable, and the occasional absence is understood. However, repeated non-attendance usually signals a misalignment in timing or priorities. If attendance becomes difficult, we’ll address it early and openly to ensure the forum continues to work well for you and the wider community.

How do you ensure conversations stay relevant within forums?

Forum relevance is intentionally designed around our three pillars: building the leader, equipping the business, and sustaining progress. Forums are carefully curated and deliberately small (typically 8–10 members), with a clear structure that ensures discussions focus on current leadership challenges, business growth priorities and ongoing accountability.

Facilitators guide conversations beyond surface updates into reflective, decision-focused dialogue that supports better judgement and action. Forum fit is reviewed on an ongoing basis. If at any point we feel there is misalignment - due to changes in your business or the group dynamic - we will reassess forum fit to ensure the experience continues to support meaningful progress over time.

How long does it take to get placed in a Forum?

Forum placement typically takes place within the first 4–6 weeks of membership and forms part of a structured onboarding process. During this time, members complete a CliftonStrengths assessment, have a one-to-one debrief with a coach, and take part in a forum curation call with the membership team to ensure the best possible fit.

Alongside this, members are paired with a one-to-one business coach to support early focus and momentum. This approach allows us to curate forums holistically and deliberately. We prioritise long-term relevance and forum quality over speed, as this has the greatest impact on sustained value.

Realistically, how much time does this require from me?

Each forum meeting lasts approximately four hours and takes place around every six weeks. In addition, members may choose to engage in one-to-one coaching sessions and selected events, depending on their priorities at the time.

Beyond scheduled sessions, the time investment is largely self-directed. The real commitment is whether you’re willing to protect the space, reflect between meetings and apply insight to your leadership and decision-making as your business evolves.

How does this fit alongside my existing leadership responsibilities?

Members who prioritise the time and space for the programme tend to get the most from it. Business Leader is most effective when it’s treated as a strategic commitment to your business and development as a leader.

Realistically, how much time does this require from me?

Each forum meeting lasts approximately four hours and takes place around every six weeks. In addition, members may choose to engage in one-to-one coaching sessions and selected events, depending on their priorities at the time.

Beyond scheduled sessions, the time investment is largely self-directed. The real commitment is whether you’re willing to protect the space, reflect between meetings and apply insight to your leadership and decision-making as your business evolves.

How does this fit alongside my existing leadership responsibilities?

Members who prioritise the time and space for the programme tend to get the most from it. Business Leader is most effective when it’s treated as a strategic commitment to your business and development as a leader.

• What does membership actually give me access to?

Membership gives you access to a deliberately structured programme designed to support leadership growth, business capability and sustained progress. At its core are peer forums, providing confidential, facilitated space to work through live challenges with other experienced business leaders.

Members also receive three one-to-one coaching sessions per year, a CliftonStrengths assessment with a coaching debrief, and access to leadership masterclasses and Inside the Business company visits, offering practical insight into how other organisations operate and scale. This is complemented by online micro-learnings, an invitation to our annual Business Leader Summit, and a programme of community events designed to deepen connection across the membership.

Together, these elements create a cohesive experience rather than a menu of options - supporting leaders to think clearly, act decisively and sustain progress over time.

• How does coaching support me alongside the forums?

Coaching provides dedicated space to focus on your individual leadership context - your decisions, challenges and development as a leader. While forums offer peer perspective and shared insight, coaching allows you to go deeper, working one-to-one with an experienced coach to explore how that insight applies to you personally.

Members choose their coach, recognising that trust and fit are essential. Coaching often supports reflection between forum sessions, helps clarify thinking ahead of key decisions, and strengthens follow-through over time. Used well, it complements the forum experience by translating perspective into confident action in your role and business.

• How long does membership last, and how do renewals work?

Business Leader is designed as an ongoing, evolving membership, supporting leaders as their business and priorities change over time. Membership is reviewed on an annual basis and paid yearly, once curation is complete and you’ve decided to proceed. Payment confirms commitment and allows onboarding to begin, including coaching allocation and forum curation. Forum placement follows onboarding, once the right fit has been established.

Each year, we take time to discuss how the membership is supporting you and whether it continues to be the right fit. Renewals are treated as a considered conversation rather than an assumption, ensuring the experience remains relevant, valuable and aligned with where you are now.

• What if I’m not sure I need this but suspect I might?

That uncertainty is often the right place to start. Many members explore Business Leader not because they have a clear answer, but because they recognise a moment of change, pressure or transition in their leadership or business.

The best next step is a conversation. An enquiry call is not a commitment or an assessment; it’s an opportunity to talk through where you are, what you’re navigating, and whether the membership is likely to be useful at this point. In some cases, we’ll advise that the timing isn’t right - and that’s part of protecting the quality of the experience for everyone involved.

If you’re curious and want to explore fit properly, we encourage you to start there.