10k Leaders | CEO Study Group

Endurance. Discipline. Principles.

Our vision for 10K Leaders is simple—to build a national mentorship infrastructure grounded in real-world experience and timeless principles.

And ambitious—State by State, Chapter by Chapter, we are building a collective body of wisdom that will never be finished — and will grow more valuable with the addition of each Member insight. Every conversation, every hard-earned lesson, every contribution from business leaders carrying the weight strengthens this platform for the next generation. What emerges is not a static curriculum, but a living standard.

From startup founders to seasoned retirees, from solopreneurs to multi-division CEOs, the fundamentals remain the same. Markets shift. Technology evolves. Headlines change. But discipline, sound judgment, stewardship, and leadership endure. 10K Leaders brings together those who understand this — leaders willing to help one another grow while contributing their shared insights to something larger than themselves. Leadership compounds.

What It Means to be 10k Leaders

Every $100/yr Institute Member is encouraged to find, join or launch a 10K Leaders Chapter in your region. Granted, the Rules of The Executives Institute are designed to be studied individually, and that discipline is encouraged. But their full weight is only felt in face-to-face, candid conversations with your peers — your colleagues carrying the same responsibilities. The insights deepen when tested against experience; when challenged by other leaders, and refined through better questions and honest feedback. These meetings are where the principles become practical.

In 2026, we are building toward…

  • 10,000+ active and retired business leaders across the U.S.
  • 10+ Chapters in each of the 50 States
  • 10-20+ actively engaged Members per Chapter
  • the most-powerful business resource of connections, insights and solutions in America!

If you believe business ownership is a marathon, not a sprint —this is where you belong.

Your Next Step in the Marathon…

  1. Enroll in The Executives’ Institute—$100/year
  2. Follow our LinkedIn Page.
  3. Join or launch a 10k Leaders Chapter—name it whatever you’d like—we’re not forming an association, we just helping each other become better leaders and build stronger, more-profitable businesses!
  4. Invite your colleagues.
  5. Add Your Insight.

There are no Chapter fees. No bylaws. No bureaucracy. Just an old-school respect and honor system.

Each leader enrolls in the Institute for $100 annually. Each Chapter member does the same. You study the Rules. You contribute your insights to build the Boardrooms. You promote your organization through disciplined engagement. You join the LinkedIn conversation that unites Chapters nationwide.

Simple structure. Serious commitment.

We are building this for you — for each of our companies — and for the future of American enterprise.

Chapter leaders may structure additional local participation commitments, for their meeting facilitation or hosting.

Do I have to lead a Chapter to join?
No — you can join an existing Chapter or participate individually through the Institute.

How often do Chapters meet?
Monthly is recommended.

What exactly will Chapters study?
The 12 foundational Chapters of The Executives’ Institute curriculum tied to the 50 Rules. The meeting structure is 100% conversational, not presentational.

The Chapters

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Conversation Starters

Each 10K Leaders Chapter is encouraged to meet monthly to engage in a disciplined, candid conversation built around one of the 12 Chapters of The Executives Institute — the Rules within it, and the recommended reading that sharpens perspective.

These Rules are not lectures. They are conversation starters. They are designed to be challenged, applied, debated, refined.

In the room, leaders speak openly — about what worked, what failed, what they would do differently, and what they are seeing in real time across their industries. The discussion is practical. Direct. Grounded in experience.

And it doesn’t end in the room. Members are invited to submit their insight to the Boardroom sections of each Rule — contributing real-world perspective that strengthens the Institute nationally. The strongest insights are published, credited, and preserved as part of the collective body of modern leadership thinking.

This is how timeless principles stay sharp.

10k Leaders Month One Discussion— 

Foundations First

Ask yourself: “Am I building on clarity—or just momentum?”

  • — Rule No. 1: Solve a real problem.
    • Recommended Reading: The Lean Startup, by Eric Ries
  • — Rule No. 2: Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
    • Recommended Reading: The Mom Test, by Rob Fitzpatrick
  • — Rule No. 6: Your first idea is rarely your best.
    • Recommended Reading: Originals, by Adam Grant
  • — Rule No. 10: Never stop learning.
    • Recommended Reading: Mindset, by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.
  • — Rule No. 15: Work on the business, not just in it.
    • Recommended Reading: The E-Myth Revisited, by Michael E. Gerber

10k Leaders Month Two Discussion— 

Know Your Customer

Ask yourself: “Do we truly understand who our best customer is—and does our team know how to serve them with clarity and consistency?”

  • — Rule No.11: Your Brand is Your Promise
    • Recommended Reading: Building Strong Brands, by David A. Aaker
  • — Rule No.12: Know Your Customer Deeply
    • Recommended Reading: Know Your Customer, by Robert B. Woodruff and Sarah F. Gardial
  • — Rule No.18: Your Calendar Reflects Your Priorities
    • Recommended Reading: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, By Stephen R. Covey
  • — Rule No.21: Clarity Creates Confidence
    • Recommended Reading: Made to Stick, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

10k Leaders Month Three Discussion— 

Hiring Without Regret

Ask yourself: “Are the people on our team making our business better—or just busier?“

  • — Rule No. 22: Hire slow, fire fast.
    • Recommended Reading: Who, by Geoff Smart and Randy Street
  • — Rule No. 24: Own your mistakes.
    • Recommended Reading: Extreme Ownership, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
  • — Rule No. 31: Delegate outcomes, not tasks.
    • Recommended Reading: Turn the Ship Around!, by L. David Marquet
  • — Rule No. 49: People over processes.
    • Recommended Reading: The Human Side of Enterprise, by Douglas McGregor

10k Leaders Month Four Discussion— 

Strategy In the Real World

Ask yourself: “Am I bold enough to make fewer, sharper moves that matter?“

  • — Rule No. 3: Differentiate or die.
    • Recommended Reading: Blue Ocean Strategy, by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
  • — Rule No. 4: Play the long game.
    • Recommended Reading: The Infinite Game, by Simon Sinek
  • — Rule No. 5: Make fewer, bolder moves.
    • Recommended Reading: Playing To Win, by A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin
  • — Rule No. 25: Ask better questions.
    • Recommended Reading: A More Beautiful Question, by Warren Berger
  • — Rule No. 26: Define it. Measure it. Achieve it.
    • Recommended Reading: Measure What Matters, by John Doerr

10k Leaders Month Five Discussion— 

Execution Beats Ideas

Ask Yourself: “What’s the one hard action I’m avoiding that would actually move things forward?”

  • — Rule No. 7: Momentum beats motivation.
    • Recommended Reading: The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield
  • — Rule No. 8: Don’t mistake movement for progress.
    • Recommended Reading: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, By Greg McKeown
  • — Rule No. 9: Focus beats multitasking.
    • Recommended Reading: The One Thing, by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
  • — Rule No. 27: Do the hard things first.
    • Recommended Reading: Eat That Frog!, by Brian Tracy
  • — Rule No. 28: Learn by doing.
    • Recommended Reading: The Art of Learning, by Josh Waitzkin

10k Leaders Month Six Discussion— 

Hard Conversations, Hard Decisions

Ask Yourself: “What decision am I avoiding right now—and what is it already costing me?”

  • — Rule No. 14: Know when to let go.
    • Recommended Reading: Necessary Endings, by Dr. Henry Cloud
  • — Rule No. 19: Stop doing what doesn’t work.
    • Recommended Reading: What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith
  • — Rule No. 42: Feedback is a gift.
    • Recommended Reading: Thanks For The Feedback, by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen
  • — Rule No. 50: If you’re going to eat shit, don’t nibble.
    • Recommended Reading: The Hard Thing About Hard Things, by Ben Horowitz

10k Leaders Month Seven Discussion— 

Systems That Scale

Ask Yourself: “Where am I still relying on heroics instead of a system that should already be in place?”

  • WEEK 28— Rule No. 23: Simplicity scales.
    • Recommended Reading: Simple Rules, by Donald Sull and Kathleen M. Eisenhardt
  • WEEK 29— Rule No. 32: Don’t scale chaos.
    • Recommended Reading: Scaling Up, by Verne Harnish and the team at Gazelles
  • WEEK 30— Rule No. 36: Build a business that runs without you.
    • Recommended Reading: Built To Sell, by John Warrillow
  • WEEK 31— Rule No. 33: Processes protect your time.
    • Recommended Reading: The Checklist Manifesto, by Atul Gawande

10k Leaders Month Eight Discussion— 

Sales—the Lifeblood

Ask yourself: “Are we selling something people believe in—or just something we hope they’ll buy?“

  • WEEK 32— Rule No. 13: Know your numbers.
    • Recommended Reading: Financial Intelligence, by Karen Berman and Joe Knight
  • WEEK 33— Rule No. 20: Cash flow is king.
    • Recommended Reading: Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!, by Greg Crabtree
  • WEEK 34— Rule No. 38: Build once, sell forever.
    • Recommended Reading: The Automatic Customer, by John Warrillow
  • WEEK 35— Rule No. 40: Sell the vision, not just the product.
    • Recommended Reading: Start With Why, by Simon Sinek

10k Leaders Month Nine Discussion—

Culture You Can Count On

Ask yourself: “Are we building a culture that raises the standard—or one that quietly lowers it?“

  • WEEK 36— Rule No. 34: Great businesses outlive great products.
    • Recommended Reading: Built To Last, by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras
  • WEEK 37— Rule No. 35: Raise the bar, then raise it again.
    • Recommended Reading: Good To Great, by Jim Collins
  • WEEK 38— Rule No. 46: Don’t outgrow your values.
    • Recommended Reading: The Advantage, by Patrick Lencioni

10k Leaders Month Ten Discussion—

Leadership That Lasts

Ask yourself: “Am I building a leadership style that will still work—and still matter—ten years from now?“

  • WEEK 39— Rule No. 16: Time is your most precious asset.
    • Recommended Reading: The Time Trap, by Alec Mackenzie
  • WEEK 40— Rule No. 17: Speed Matters.
    • Recommended Reading: Fail Fast, Fail Often, by Ryan Babineaux, Ph.D. and John Krumboltz, Ph. D.
  • WEEK 41— Rule No. 29: Protect your downside.
    • Recommended Reading: Rich Dad’s Guide To Investing, by Robert T. Kiyosaki
  • WEEK 42— Rule No. 39: Your network is your net worth.
    • Recommended Reading: Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi

10k Leaders Month Eleven Discussion—

Avoiding the Common Pitfalls

Ask yourself: “Is my business coasting on past wins—while small, fixable problems quietly compound into future crises?“

  • WEEK 43— Rule No. 30: Profit is not a dirty word.
    • Recommended Reading: Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz
  • WEEK 44— Rule No. 47: The bottleneck is at the top.
    • Recommended Reading: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni
  • WEEK 45— Rule No. 41: Reputation compounds.
    • Recommended Reading: The Reputation Economy, by Michael Fertik and David Thompson
  • WEEK 46— Rule No. 44: Own your edge.
    • Recommended Reading: Purple Cow, by Seth Godin

10k Leaders Month Twelve Discussion—

Reflection and Recommitment

Ask yourself: “What will I carry forward? What will I leave behind?“

  • WEEK 47— Rule No. 37: Build trust before selling.
    • Recommended Reading: The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M. R. Covey
  • WEEK 48— Rule No. 43: Run your race.
    • Recommended Reading: Can’t Hurt Me, by David Goggins
  • WEEK 49— Rule No. 45: Protect your mental bandwidth.
    • Recommended Reading: Deep Work, by Cal Newport
  • WEEK 50— Rule No. 48: Give more than you take.
    • Recommended Reading: The Go-Giver, by Bob Burg and John David Mann