ChairLife Podcast

Description for ChairLife Podcast: Episode 37 (101)

Join Vistage Master Chair Tom Cuthbert in this episode of the ChairLife podcast. Tom explores high-performing behavior number eleven on never missing 1:1 or mentor meetings, and discusses the number one skill CEOs must master—effective 1:1s—and how to coach it.

Show Notes

Announcement: Chair World Sessions: Details two sessions Tom is teaching in February 2026 on purpose-practice intersection and optimizing time/income.

High-Performing Behavior Number 11: High-performing members never miss 1:1 or mentor meetings to model leadership.

Recent Inspiration: Reflections from Arena Baranof's coaching sessions on deep personal connections.

Importance of One-to-Ones: Build trust, enable transformation, improve retention.

Modeling One-to-Ones as a Chair: Use recurring scheduling, 90-minute in-person format.

Handling Rescheduling: Prioritize to maintain monthly cadence, even if shortened.

Impact on Retention: Missing 1:1s increases leave risk fourfold per Vistage data.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: The Number One Skill Your CEOs Must Master and How You Coach It: Coach CEOs on mastering 1:1s for team leadership.

Conclusion: Never miss 1:1s; schedule one and discuss with a member.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: The Number One Skill Your CEOs Must Master and How You Coach It

Tom highlights mastering effective 1:1s as CEOs' top skill and how Chairs coach it.

Why Master 1:1s: Builds trust, drives performance, reduces turnover.

Coaching Methods: Use agendas, preparation questions, follow-up actions.

Benefits: Enhances leadership, retention; Vistage data shows impact.

Action: Role-play 1:1s in sessions; encourage CEOs to prioritize.

Resources

Explore these resources to support your Vistage Chair practice:

www.tomcuthbert.com

www.chairlifepodcast.com

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/he7l08qy0pl4ni5o18o4o/The-Brown-M-M-Protocol.pdf?rlkey=lugflq9d1xw7k93ndlaohsaiw&st=gu8yikm2&dl=0

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jiS-dJM58OSJRutMFc2ae7nFJFPCjSSo7-iYa_RsXeM/edit?usp=sharing

Tom Cuthbert discusses transitioning from chaos to ChairLife magic with two key roles that changed everything, and advises CEOs to stop filling gaps to build team independence.

Show Notes

Announcement: Chair World Sessions: Two sessions in February 2026 on purpose-practice intersection and optimizing time/income.

Introduction: Welcome back for 2026; focus on time management and getting time back.

Quote on Time Management: Peter Drucker on time as scarcest resource.

Splitting Roles for Support: Difficult to find one person with all skills; decide on EA/admin/tech needs.

Key Questions for Hiring Support: What can others do? What's ROI?

Tom's High-Payoff Activities: 10% planning (160 hours/year); quarterly EOS sessions, weekly meetings.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: CEOs Stop Filling Gaps: Start Building Independence: Delegate to empower teams.

Conclusion: Find resources at tomcuthbert.com; share podcast at chairlifepodcast.com.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: CEOs Stop Filling Gaps: Start Building Independence

Tom advises CEOs to delegate gaps to build independence.

Why Delegate: Focus on high-impact; reduces overload.

Challenges: CEOs hinder growth by filling gaps.

How to Delegate: Use Vistage tools; coach on empowerment.

Benefits: Boosts skills, succession; improves retention.

Action: Identify one gap to delegate this week.

Resources

Explore these resources to support your Vistage Chair practice:

www.tomcuthbert.com

www.chairlifepodcast.com

www.tomcuthbert.com/flywheel

Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great - https://amzn.to/4pwkteI

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rr92JAVb7mlqNlIuvrj5MXT8awOStla0139ABeYtd3g/edit?usp=sharing

Join Vistage Master Chair Tom Cuthbert in this episode of the ChairLife podcast. Tom concludes the high-performing behaviors series with number twelve on members making the group better, and discusses the power of saying things out loud.

Show Notes

Announcement: Chair World Sessions: Details two sessions in February 2026 on purpose-practice intersection and optimizing time/income.

High-Performing Behavior Number 12: High-performing members make the group better; Aristotle quote on the whole being greater than parts.

Role of the Chair in Groups: Facilitate invisibly, coach individuals, challenge participation.

Episode Title Explanation: Stop carrying the piano; members make the music.

Personal Lesson from Early Practice: Shifted from doing everything to member ownership.

Ways to Make the Group Better: Facilitate, coach, remind of contributions.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: The Moment of Truth: Saying It Out Loud Changes Everything: Verbalizing clarifies and commits.

Conclusion: Let members own the group; assess and facilitate member-led discussions.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: The Moment of Truth: Saying It Out Loud Changes Everything

Tom discusses verbalizing thoughts in groups.

Power of Speaking: Clarifies issues, builds accountability, gains peer insights.

Benefits: Commits to action, changes perspective.

Action: Encourage voicing one goal or challenge this week.

Resources

Explore these resources to support your Vistage Chair practice:

www.tomcuthbert.com

www.chairlifepodcast.com

www.tomcuthbert.com/memberselectionplaybook

The Coaching Habit - https://amzn.to/48CCMcH

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1txBqZ_sBLA_2uZCUwSBLyk7pkSrPSiqqIQnI8XXsP4E/edit?usp=sharing

Join Vistage Master Chair Tom Cuthbert in this episode of the ChairLife podcast. Tom explores high-performing behavior number eleven on never missing 1:1 or mentor meetings, and discusses the number one skill CEOs must master—effective 1:1s—and how to coach it.

Show Notes

Announcement: Chair World Sessions: Details two sessions Tom is teaching in February 2026 on purpose-practice intersection and optimizing time/income.

High-Performing Behavior Number 11: High-performing members never miss 1:1 or mentor meetings to model leadership.

Recent Inspiration: Reflections from Arena Baranof's coaching sessions on deep personal connections.

Importance of One-to-Ones: Build trust, enable transformation, improve retention.

Modeling One-to-Ones as a Chair: Use recurring scheduling, 90-minute in-person format.

Handling Rescheduling: Prioritize to maintain monthly cadence, even if shortened.

Impact on Retention: Missing 1:1s increases leave risk fourfold per Vistage data.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: The Number One Skill Your CEOs Must Master and How You Coach It: Coach CEOs on mastering 1:1s for team leadership.

Conclusion: Never miss 1:1s; schedule one and discuss with a member.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: The Number One Skill Your CEOs Must Master and How You Coach It

Tom highlights mastering effective 1:1s as CEOs' top skill and how Chairs coach it.

Why Master 1:1s: Builds trust, drives performance, reduces turnover.

Coaching Methods: Use agendas, preparation questions, follow-up actions.

Benefits: Enhances leadership, retention; Vistage data shows impact.

Action: Role-play 1:1s in sessions; encourage CEOs to prioritize.

Resources

Explore these resources to support your Vistage Chair practice:

www.tomcuthbert.com

www.chairlifepodcast.com

https://www.wsj.com/business/c-suite/manager-strengths-rellocating-talent-f0add2da?st=8mQCxM&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimristuccia?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kkmEHuZuVw_w5B2g3kHWIxsgBaFx0CWTjX-AHLNBYzg/edit?usp=sharing

Tom Cuthbert explores high-performing behavior number nine on setting and achieving goals, sharing personal strategies and accountability team best practices for Vistage Chairs.

Show Notes

Introduction: Announces Chair World sessions and quotes James Clear on systems over goals.

High-Performing Behavior Number 9: High-performing members set and achieve goals through community accountability.

Why Set Personal Goals: Models accountability, transparency; focuses on work-life balance, utilization, retention.

Achieving Goals Through Community: Set realistic goals in groups for support; weave into one-to-ones and teams.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: Accountability Team Best Practices: Meet to review progress, provide support.

Conclusion: Set 2026 goals; reflect on last year.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: Accountability Team Best Practices

Tom shares practices for accountability teams to drive goal achievement.

Meet Regularly: 90 minutes monthly to discuss learnings, applications, mutual help.

Review Tools: Personal Action Summaries, goals, KPIs, scores.

Encourage Feedback: Mutual adjustments for commitment.

Benefits: Builds environment for success and retention.

Action: Form team to track one goal this week.

Resources

Explore these resources to support your Vistage Chair practice:

www.tomcuthbert.com

www.chairlifepodcast.com

www.tomcuthbert.com/extraordinary

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TG3xkKXzxHVloFWrE9lSGeGrrObXl8PYAeQu-DY6IXM/edit?usp=sharing

Join Vistage Master Chair Tom Cuthbert in this episode of the ChairLife podcast. Tom explores high-performing behavior number eight on investing in yourself and others, sharing his 10 personal investments, and discusses why every company needs two CEOs with Vistage Key Groups as the CEO factory.

Show Notes

Introduction: Tom announces Chair World sessions and quotes Buffett on self-investment.

High-Performing Behavior Number 8: High-performing members invest in themselves to become better leaders and in others through training, feedback, coaching.

Tom's 10 Personal Investments in Himself: Lists sabbaticals, reduced hours, time blocking, gym routine, longevity coaching, morning routine, sleep optimization, reading, productivity hacks, gratitude journaling.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: Two CEOs, One Company: Why Key Groups Are Your CEO Factory: Explains need for a right-hand second CEO developed via Key Groups.

Conclusion: Invest in self and others; adopt one investment and discuss Key Groups with a member.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: Two CEOs, One Company: Why Key Groups Are Your CEO Factory

Tom explains why companies need two CEOs—one actual, one right-hand second CEO who sees more, listens, represents, backs up, and succeeds via Vistage Key Groups.

Why Two CEOs: Boosts efficiency (20-30% revenue gains, e27.co); mitigates risk (40% global leaders have COOs, McKinsey 2022).

Benefits: Reduces turnover (34% lower with development, Gallup); builds succession (avoids 20-50% productivity loss, SHRM).

Vistage Key Groups: Develops right-hands as CEO makers; complements emerging/advancing; over 80% of Tom's CEOs place teams here.

Action: Assess right-hand readiness; enroll in Key Groups for ROI.

Resources

Explore these resources to support your Vistage Chair practice:

www.tomcuthbert.com

www.chairlifepodcast.com

www.tomcuthbert.com/goals

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EPqs7K-Cx4PxnQ-4xkUxIbsvDB9EEpE6YBZ0h5cB5VQ/edit?usp=sharing

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1b307vfk4fpna63maxvsa/Accountability-Teams-Best-Practices.pdf?rlkey=ud87sxoh43v6ndjyulm6r9ujt&st=uj3mv3ua&dl=0

Join Vistage Master Chair Tom Cuthbert in this episode of the ChairLife podcast. Tom explores high-performing behavior number eight on investing in yourself and others, sharing his 10 personal investments, and discusses why every company needs two CEOs with Vistage Key Groups as the CEO factory.

Show Notes

Introduction: Tom announces Chair World sessions and quotes Buffett on self-investment.

High-Performing Behavior Number 8: High-performing members invest in themselves to become better leaders and in others through training, feedback, coaching.

Tom's 10 Personal Investments in Himself: Lists sabbaticals, reduced hours, time blocking, gym routine, longevity coaching, morning routine, sleep optimization, reading, productivity hacks, gratitude journaling.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: Two CEOs, One Company: Why Key Groups Are Your CEO Factory: Explains need for a right-hand second CEO developed via Key Groups.

Conclusion: Invest in self and others; adopt one investment and discuss Key Groups with a member.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks

Tom explains why companies need two CEOs—one actual, one right-hand second CEO who sees more, listens, represents, backs up, and succeeds via Vistage Key Groups.

Why Two CEOs: Boosts efficiency (20-30% revenue gains, e27.co); mitigates risk (40% global leaders have COOs, McKinsey 2022).

Benefits: Reduces turnover (34% lower with development, Gallup); builds succession (avoids 20-50% productivity loss, SHRM).

Vistage Key Groups: Develops right-hands as CEO makers; complements emerging/advancing; over 80% of Tom's CEOs place teams here.

Action: Assess right-hand readiness; enroll in Key Groups for ROI.

Resources

Explore these resources to support your Vistage Chair practice:

www.tomcuthbert.com

www.chairlifepodcast.com

https://instituteforfunctionalhealth.com/

https://www.longevityarchitects.com/

www.tomcuthbert.com/longevity

https://amzn.to/4qrieLc

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tmsmfU323osyQXICkCxsuawXgkr_N09P-JreYjzBV38/edit?usp=sharing

Welcome to the ChairLife podcast with Tom Cuthbert. As a CEO, coach, and Vistage Master Chair, Tom shares insights, strategies, and tools to help you build a successful Chair practice where mission and purpose intersect with a balanced work life. This is your guide to leading with impact while living with intention. In this episode, Tom explores high-performing behavior number seven on embracing and providing feedback, and discusses why the value of an issue is worth far more. Let’s dive in.

High-Performing Behavior: Embrace and Provide Feedback

Tom quotes Eric Sevareid: "Better to trust the man who is frequently in error than the one who is never in doubt."

This highlights candor and feedback's value in Vistage.

High-performing members embrace and provide feedback.

Feedback is a cornerstone; create environments where it is embraced in groups and one-to-ones.

Creating a Feedback-Rich Environment

Tom recalls his first Vistage day: "Vistage is a feedback-rich environment."

Builds trust, raises conversation quality, strengthens community.

Without feedback, growth stalls; errors repeat.

Gallup: Teams with regular feedback see 14.9% lower turnover.

Avoiding Difficult Conversations

Tom notes common avoidance of tough talks.

70% of leaders delay due to discomfort (HBR).

Vistage models feedback using Craig Weber's Conversational Capacity.

Balance candor with curiosity for stronger relationships.

Practical Applications of Feedback

Tom outlines ways to apply feedback.

Use surveys for speakers, meetings; rate one-to-ones.

From Warren Berger's The Book of Beautiful Questions: "Good feedback tells what's wrong; questions pull solutions from giver."

Encourage carefrontation: Share thoughts out of care.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: Why The Value of an Issue is Worth Far More

Tom explains issues' true value exceeds fees through insights.

Track issue dollar impact to show ROI.

Deep sharing maximizes group benefit.

Benefits: Drives breakthroughs, justifies investment.

Action: Quantify one issue's value next meeting.

Conclusion

Thank you for tuning into ChairLife. Embrace feedback through carefrontation; recognize issues' greater value. Lean into one feedback conversation and quantify an issue's impact this week. See you next time.

Resources

Explore these resources to support your Vistage Chair practice:

www.tomcuthbert.com

www.chairlifepodcast.com

www.tomcuthbert.com/highperforming

www.tomcuthbert.com/questions

https://amzn.to/47muRyD

https://amzn.to/3WRiKVe

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13-1cP_KkDspF6PmK5UNCLDAANsY35T2L00t2FExrD3I/edit?usp=sharing

Join Vistage Master Chair Tom Cuthbert in this episode of the ChairLife podcast. Tom explores high-performing behavior number six on guarding time and using it wisely, and shares productivity hacks from Atomic Habits.

Show Notes

Introduction: Tom quotes Covey on investing time; emphasizes modeling time management in meetings.

The Power of Guarding Time: Time is finite; poor management costs 20% productivity (Forbes 2023).

Elements of This Behavior: Attend on time, be present (no phones), punctuality with grace period, stay full day.

Modeling Time Management: Change voicemail daily, share calendar with team, prioritize Vistage time.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: Productivity Hacks From Atomic Habits: Draws from James Clear's book for efficiency tips.

Conclusion: Guard time to elevate groups; implement one hack this week.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: Productivity Hacks From Atomic Habits

Tom shares hacks from Atomic Habits by James Clear to boost energy, focus, and efficiency.

Habit Stacking: Pair new habits with existing routines, like goals review during coffee.

Environment Design: Create focused spaces, like dedicated office for one-to-ones.

Two-Minute Rule: Start tasks in two minutes to beat procrastination.

Identity Focus: Adopt mindsets like "I'm a focused Chair" to reinforce habits.

Tracking Progress: Use journals or apps to monitor and adjust behaviors.

Resources

www.tomcuthbert.com

www.chairlifepodcast.com

www.tomcuthbert.com/highperforming

https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-James-Clear-audiobook/dp/B07RFSSYBH/

https://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-Greg-McKeown-audiobook/dp/B00IWYP5NI/

https://www.amazon.com/Indistractable-Nir-Eyal-Julie-Li-audiobook/dp/B07SV4V6ZK

https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/the-flywheel.html

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TMtYDzW8dcqczuGjxf2f73oLWt3F9wQdcClnGnte_-o/edit?usp=sharing

Join Vistage Master Chair Tom Cuthbert in this episode of the ChairLife podcast. Tom explores high-performing behavior number four on presence and focus, and shares AI tools for prospecting in Vistage Chair practice.

Show Notes

Introduction: Tom discusses behavior four: High-performing members are present, focused, and intentional.

The Importance of Presence: Quotes Covey on listening; Vistage as practice space for focus.

Why Presence Matters for Relationships: Builds trust, engagement, connections; applies to CEOs, members, family.

Book Recommendation and Example: Recommends "The Notice" by Andy Andrews; character Jones exemplifies full presence.

The Cost of Distraction: Squirrel analogy; erodes trust, makes others feel undervalued.

Stats on Multitasking and Context Switching: Multitasking cuts productivity 40% (APA); refocus takes 23 minutes (UC study).

Personal Story on Distraction: Distracted CEO in one-to-one; addressed to reinforce focus.

Tips for Avoiding Distractions in Groups: Phones out of sight, Do Not Disturb mode.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: Vistage Chair's AI Edge: Prospect to Peer Power: Uses Grok AI for prospect analysis and outreach.

Conclusion: Practice presence, use AI for prospecting; implement phone-free zones and analyze one profile.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: Vistage Chair's AI Edge: Prospect to Peer Power

Tom highlights Grok AI for prospecting.

Setup: Access via xAI, integrated with X.

Features: Analyzes profiles, posts, links; vets prospects.

Use Cases: Search CEOs on X, analyze for fit, generate messages.

Benefits: Saves time, personalizes pitches.

Action: Try for one search; integrate into recruitment.

Resources

Explore these resources to support your Vistage Chair practice:

www.tomcuthbert.com

www.chairlifepodcast.com

www.tomcuthbert.com/highperforming

https://www.amazon.com/Conversational-Capacity-Building-Successful-Pressure/dp/0071807128

https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Self-Deception-Fourth-Transforming-Relationships/dp/B0DZ3QM2BB

https://www.amazon.com/The-Power-of-Positive-No-audiobook/dp/B000NUOJKO/