One of the best decisions I ever made was to join YPO in Scotland

“One of the best decisions I ever made was to join YPO in Scotland”.

I was recently asked what being a YPO member was all about.?

I started my YPO journey in 2003 after being invited by a trusted friend, who was MD of a family business, to a dinner to learn about Young Presidents Organisation or YPO for short.?www.ypo.org??On the night in questions we met with a group of Managing Directors & CEO’s who all had one thing in common, they wanted to be better leaders. That night started me on a fantastic journey of YPO life long learning, new friends and a continuous evolution to be in better leader and person.

YPO is different to other business network memberships in that it focuses on the whole person with support for self (health and wellbeing), family (partners/kids/parents) and work and includes a significant support structure for partners and your children.

With circa 33,000 members worldwide and over 600 in UK and Ireland the diversity of age, race, gender, religion, race, personality it is a truly inclusive organisation. I have learned to understand and respect so many different perspectives.

The purpose of the organisation is underpinned by trust and confidentiality between members and given the whole person approach without being judgemental these are fundamental to its success over the last 60 years as a not for profit membership. Members globally are committed to helping each other to be better and make the world a better place.

Some have suggested it is a secret club and it is anything but that, however, with the values of confidentiality and trust being core, what is confidential is kept confidential, allowing every member to be far more open when sharing ideas and helping to solve each other’s problems.

YPO operates across many levels including;

-?forum, that is a group of about 8 members they meet regularly to update, share, learn together and help us all to be better and more successful in business and life.

-?chapter education, where the local chapters of a large city or a country,?in my case Scotland, come tougher than to build education and learning programmes to help each and every members grow as a person, a family member and a business leader. These education events are excellent and utilise world leading resources as well and calling on other members to support and share their wisdom including successes and failures in a confidential environment to ensure full openness. Resources are numerous and have included, Steve Peters, Steven Van Belleghem, Richard Hytner, Peter Hinssen, Bob Keiller, Andy Bounds, Lord Mark Price, Desmond Tutu, F W de Klerk, John Roberts, Boris Groysberg, John Mullins, Rob Goffee, John Bates, from Harvard Business School, London Business School, INSEAD and many more.

-?globally, across the range of international education events and conferences where the best in class resources are drawn from a worldwide pool of extraordinary people and cover every subject you can imagine in business, personal and family matters.

-?networks, are operated globally across industry sectors and across hobbies/ interests/charities to ensure that best in class learning is shared between members to help them have the widest range of expertise and knowledge on the chosen networks selected.

Members must want to learn and grow as people to maximise the value of YPO and by engaging in the local chapter as well as joining global and network events the best value is unlocked.

YPO is a truly unique members organisation where I have learned so much and made great friendships, yet I have so much more to learn across all ages and stages of life.?

I highly recommend those MD’s/COE’s that are hungry to learn and grow, who want to be better leaders, parents and people, to look at YPO when they are ready and eligible to join and lean in to a world of knowledge and wisdom like no other.

Please have a look at this video that brings a some of what I have experienced to life.

https://youtu.be/x6eh7rqBn80

Thanks to each and every member of YPO for supporting my journey in the past, present and future.

Mike Still