How CEOs Learn to Lift People to New Heights

I’ve had the privilege of teaching graduate programs at Seton Hall and Rutgers University, and over the past 18 years, I’ve worked with many outstanding students. When I think about the very best, it wasn’t just the students who submitted excellent work; they had a talent for uplifting everyone around them. Instead of using their abilities to stand out, they invited everyone to join them in the pursuit of excellence.

When CEOs gather in a confidential, structured forum to share experiences, challenge each other, and explore their toughest business and personal issues, something remarkable occurs. Beyond the insights, empathy, and accountability that drive each meeting, there’s a phenomenon called collateral learning, a term coined by John Dewey in the 1930s.

In Dewey’s 1938 book Experience and Education, he wrote: “Perhaps the greatest of all pedagogical fallacies is the notion that a person learns only what he is studying at the time. Collateral learning in the way of formation of enduring attitudes may be and often is more important than the spelling lesson, or the lesson in geography or history that is learned.” In short, it’s what we learn from how we learn. And it is how great CEOs learn to lift one another and their employees to new heights.

In the foreword of my latest book, Peernovation (Second Edition): Forged by CEO Forums. Perfected for Teams. (2025), Harvard Business School professor and best-selling author Amy Edmondson wrote: “I had always wanted to write an article entitled ‘Going to school in the team;’ it would have conveyed the idea that the best teams not only produce results, they develop their members into better people and professionals along the way.” Edmondson wisely identified the hidden value of participating in a CEO Forum.

The Power of Collateral Learning 

Collateral learning refers to what we absorb indirectly while pursuing something else -skills, attitudes, or perspectives that transcend the lesson plan. In a CEO forum, collateral learning is the byproduct of deep engagement, listening, and reflection. While the surface-level takeaway may be a new strategy or leadership approach, the deeper benefit lies in how participants learn how to learn from one another—through empathy, inquiry, shared accountability, and by leaning into their curiosity.

The Peernovation framework, grounded in the five factors that make high-performing groups thrive, places this learning at the center of its model. Psychological safety, productivity, and accountability form the core dynamic, but surrounding them are the right people, led by a servant leader, united by a shared purpose. When those conditions exist, the forum becomes not just a problem-solving body but a learning organism – one that feeds the growth of each member in ways that ripple outward.

From Insight to Impact 

A CEO might enter a forum meeting focused on a specific challenge. Let’s say it’s navigating an acquisition, leading through uncertainty, or managing board relations. They leave not only with clarity on that issue but also with an enriched perspective on how people think, learn, and lead. They observe how their peers ask questions to reveal assumptions, how they balance empathy with candor, and how they create space for vulnerability while maintaining focus on results.

This brand of participative learning is powerful. Over time, it shapes the leader’s own mindset and behavior. Back at the company, the CEO starts leading meetings differently, listens with greater intent, and invites more voices into decision-making. She encourages open dialogue without fear of repercussion. The result: the psychological safety and learning culture modeled in the forums begin to permeate the organization.

Making Everyone Better 

One of the greatest misconceptions about CEO forums is that their benefit stops at personal development. In reality, the true ROI appears when the leader translates those lessons into team growth. A CEO who experiences the power of accountability among peers can replicate that culture internally. They discover that accountability is not about pressure; it’s about trust.

Similarly, after seeing how curiosity drives understanding in a forum, and how members ask questions not to judge but to understand, the CEO fosters that same curiosity inside her organization. Team members begin to experience what it means to learn from one another rather than simply report to one another. The CEO becomes a multiplier of learning rather than just its recipient.

When psychological safety leads to open dialogue, productivity flourishes; as productivity strengthens trust, accountability naturally follows. The CEO who experiences this among peers can recreate it among employees, fostering a workplace where people feel safe to speak up, are inspired to perform, and are committed to one another’s success.

The Forum as a Leadership Laboratory 

Think of a CEO forum as a lab for leadership experimentation. It’s where leaders can test ideas, refine their communication, and even examine their blind spots. Every forum meeting is a mirror, reflecting how they show up under scrutiny, how they handle feedback, and how they respond to challenge.

The collateral learning from this lab extends far beyond business insights. It’s about learning humility from a peer who admits failure, courage from one who takes a stand, and empathy from one who listens with full presence. Each exchange strengthens not only the individual but also the collective, setting a standard of peer-driven excellence.

When CEOs carry that standard home, they become catalysts for cultural transformation. They recognize that the same principles that make a forum thrive—trust, diversity of thought, accountability, and shared purpose—can elevate their teams. The learning doesn’t end when the meeting adjourns; it multiplies as it’s lived.

Summary 

Ultimately, the goal of participating in a CEO forum isn’t just to become a better leader—it’s to become a better developer of leaders. Collateral learning transforms the forum experience into a culture-shaping influence. It provides CEOs with the self-awareness, empathy, and systems thinking necessary to foster environments where everyone can thrive.

When leaders show a willingness to learn, their teams follow. When they share insights openly, they demonstrate that asking for help is an act of resourcefulness, not weakness. And when they trust and appreciate their team members and show how much they matter, these leaders ignite the same peer-driven magic that transformed them.

When leaders learn together, they become better at leading. When they put their knowledge into action, they build companies where trust, productivity, and accountability aren’t just words on a wall but everyday realities. That’s how CEO forums, one conversation at a time, make the world of leadership a better place.

Written by Leo Bottary. Have you read?
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