162: Inside C12 — Accountability, Community, and Leadership
How Faith-Driven Leaders Grow Stronger in Business, at Home, and in Life Through Holistic Leadership and Peer Accountability
Running a business can be one of the most rewarding callings in life — but it can also be one of the loneliest. Leaders wrestle with challenges in culture, hiring, finances, and strategy. At home, the pressures don’t stop: marriages stretch thin, kids need more of us, and it feels like there’s never enough margin to truly lead well.
So where does a Christian business owner go for encouragement, accountability, and wisdom that integrates both business excellence and faith?
For Axiom CEO Joey Brannon, the answer has been clear for nearly 20 years: C12.
In this episode of Grow With Purpose, Joey welcomes back his longtime mentor and C12 Chair, Doug Poll, to talk about what makes the C12 experience so transformational for business leaders — not just at work, but in every area of life.
Why C12 Is Different
C12 is the largest network of Christian CEOs and executives in the world. But it’s not just another roundtable or peer group.
Doug explains it this way: “We don’t just talk about business challenges — we look at the whole leader. Business, family, faith, community. If you want to win more in life and in business, C12 is the place.”
A key difference is the holistic approach. Members don’t just review financials and strategy; they also share about their marriages, parenting, personal health, and faith. Every leader completes an annual Core Report, which includes a “spouse report.” That means your husband or wife is asked how you’re really doing — at home, as a parent, and as a partner. It’s a level of accountability that most leaders never experience anywhere else.
Accountability That Goes Deep — Fast
Joey recalls his very first C12 meeting:
He noticed that one member had skipped filling out part of the report. While most around the table were complimentary, Joey — young, naive, and rough around the edges — spoke up: “You talk about accountability, but you didn’t even finish this report. What’s going on?”
The room went quiet. Then another member leaned over and said: “You belong in C12.”
That’s what makes this group different. C12 members don’t let each other off the hook. They ask hard questions. They call out blind spots. And because they’re all leaders themselves, they know what it takes to tell another CEO the truth.
Doug laughs: “We call it the sharks circling. Not to attack — but when the group smells blood in the water, they dive in. They won’t let you avoid the real issues.”
The Kind of Leader Who Thrives
Not every business owner is ready for that kind of honesty.
Doug shares that the leaders who thrive in C12 are:
Coachable and humble – willing to listen and change.
Growth-focused – not satisfied with the status quo.
Faith-driven – serious about integrating business and belief.
Those who struggle? The ones who “already have all the answers.” Defensive leaders who won’t accept feedback don’t last long. The group will question their answers until the real issues surface.
As Joey puts it: “If you’re pretending, the group knows. And they’ll love you enough to call you out.”
No Silos: Business, Family, and Faith Are One
One of the strongest themes in the conversation is that leadership can’t be siloed.
At work, CEOs can control their environment. They can change strategy, pivot clients, or reorganize staff.
At home, the rules are different. Kids don’t care about titles. Spouses don’t respond to being treated like employees.
Doug reminds us: “You’re a leader wherever you go. At home, at work, in your church, with your friends. If your leadership isn’t healthy at home, it will eventually show up in your business.”
That’s why C12 brings family into the process. Some members even invite their spouses to attend their annual Core Report presentations. As Joey shares, the first time his wife Josie attended, she saw the group push him hard on a business decision. Then they turned and asked her opinion. For the first time, she felt her voice carried real weight in Joey’s leadership journey.
Today, Josie insists that Joey never miss a C12 meeting. “She’ll move heaven and earth to make sure I’m there,” Joey says. “Because she knows it makes me a better husband, father, and leader.”
The Gift of Brotherhood and Encouragement
C12 isn’t just about challenge — it’s about encouragement.
Every month, members spend nearly a full day together. They open in Scripture, share business best practices, and speak truth into each other’s lives. Over time, those hours add up to deep friendships.
Joey says: “My C12 group has become more than friends. If something ever happened to me, there are men in that room who have already promised to walk alongside my wife and help her with the business. That’s the level of trust we’re talking about.”
Doug adds: “I’ve seen leaders in tears as their peers spoke life into them — as husbands, wives, CEOs, and friends. No consultant or book can give you that. Only people who know what it’s like to walk in your shoes.”
Why a Day Away Matters
One of the biggest objections leaders raise? “I can’t afford to take a full day away from the business every month.”
Joey’s answer: “If you think you’re too busy to step away, that’s proof you need it. You’ve built a business that’s too dependent on you. You’ll never solve that problem by staying stuck in it. You need to work on the business, not just in it.”
To be in C12, business owners must lead companies with at least $1M in revenue and five or more employees — enough infrastructure to step away. And that day away often becomes the most valuable investment a leader can make all month.
A Calling, Not Just a Program
Finally, Doug shares about becoming a C12 Chair. Chairs don’t just volunteer — they go through a rigorous vetting and calling process. Doug faced six different interviews with top executives before being approved.
“They asked me over and over: ‘Are you sure you’re called to this?’ And I am. God’s purpose for me is to help leaders grow in both life and business. C12 is how I get to live that out every day.”
Your Invitation
If you’re a business leader who feels the weight of leadership and wonders where to find both challenge and encouragement, C12 may be for you.
It’s not easy. It’s not surface-level. But for the leaders who are ready, it can be the most transformational decision you ever make.
👉 Learn more about Doug Poll’s groups in Southwest Florida at c12swfl.com, or find a C12 chair near you at joinc12.com.
Because growing a business with excellence is important — but growing with purpose is what truly lasts.
References and Downloadable Resources:
LinkedIn: Doug Poll
Episode 162: Leadership Guide