The Power of Peers in an Era of Artificial Intelligence with Leo Bottary

Leadership in today's rapidly evolving business landscape presents a profound challenge: the isolation that comes with being at the top. CEOs and senior executives often find themselves surrounded by people who have a stake in outcomes, making it difficult to get honest, impartial feedback. The traditional highlight-reel culture of platforms like LinkedIn exacerbates this problem, creating unrealistic comparisons and leaving leaders feeling alone in their struggles. This episode reveals how peer advisory groups provide the antidote to executive loneliness while supercharging innovation through collective intelligence.The conversation explores how peer groups create a "practice field" for leaders—a confidential space where CEOs can step away from daily operations to engage with peers from diverse industries. Unlike networking groups focused on industry-specific connections, these forums bring together chief decision-makers from various sectors, enabling cross-pollination of ideas and practices. Members discover that while they share common challenges, the most valuable insights often come from applying processes from one industry to another, creating unexpected competitive advantages.Trust emerges as the foundational element of effective peer groups, with the discussion tracing the evolution of trust through the Edelman Trust Barometer's two-decade research. As trust in institutions has declined, people increasingly turn to peers for sense-making and validation. This shift has profound implications for organizational leadership, requiring CEOs to become "trust brokers" who can bridge differing perspectives within their teams. The episode reveals how peer groups model this trust-building behavior, teaching leaders to lean into curiosity rather than rushing to judgment.The conversation then examines how the principles of peer groups translate into organizational innovation through "peer innovation"—a framework that leverages the collective intelligence of teams. This approach becomes particularly crucial in the age of artificial intelligence, where the human elements of judgment, context, and relationship-building complement AI's capabilities. The hosts discuss how collective intelligence (artificial intelligence plus human intelligence) represents the future of organizational effectiveness, with peer groups serving as the training ground for developing these essential human skills.As AI enables businesses to scale with fewer employees, the episode warns of the potential for increased executive isolation while simultaneously highlighting the growing necessity of peer connection. The discussion concludes with practical guidance on implementing peer innovation principles daily and scaling these approaches globally to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex business environment.HighlightsJoin a peer advisory group to access impartial feedback and diverse industry perspectives unavailable within your organizationImplement peer innovation frameworks to transform team collaboration and accelerate organizational problem-solvingMonitor the Edelman Trust Barometer annually to understand evolving trust dynamics and their impact on leadershipDevelop trust-brokering skills to bridge differing perspectives and foster psychological safety within teamsUse peer groups as a "practice field" to experiment with leadership approaches before implementing them organization-wideBalance AI adoption with human intelligence development through collective intelligence strategiesReplace highlight-reel comparisons with authentic peer connections to combat executive isolationImportant Concepts and FrameworksPeer Innovation Framework — A systematic approach to leveraging collective intelligence within organizations through five factors, three dynamics, and six measurable outcomesEdelman Trust Barometer — Annual global study tracking public trust in institutions (government, business, media, NGOs) since 2001, revealing critical shifts in where people place trustPsychological Safety — Amy Edmondson's research on creating environments where team members feel safe to take risks, admit mistakes, and voice concerns without fear of negative consequencesCollateral Learning — John Dewey's concept that how we learn (through engagement with others) shapes how we lead, listen, and approach problem-solvingTrust Brokering — The leadership practice of identifying common ground among team members with differing perspectives to enable effective collaborationTools & Resources MentionedVistage: The World’s Largest Executive Coaching Organization — Global peer advisory organization for CEOs, executives, and business leaders REF | CEO Peer Advisory Boards — International peer advisory network operating in 20 countries for 32 years Entrepreneurs' Organization — Global peer-to-peer network of entrepreneursLinkedIn — Professional networking platform described as the "highlight reel" where people present idealized versions ...