November, 2014 - Samuel's CFO Website

In a previous blog (Do CFOs Listen to Podcasts?), I mentioned that I polled my CFO Advisors on their content habits. Here is one more tidbit from this survey.

While CFOs may not be the world’s most voracious book readers (see Jack Sweeney’s LinkedIn Pulse post: Imagine Being a CFO Who Doesn’t Read Books: Welcome to the Bean Counters Club), when I asked my CFO Advisors what book format they prefer to read, 1/3 of them said they prefer to read an e-book, while the 2/3 majority prefers a real paper book.

Here are some comments from my CFOs about their book reading preference:

I don’t read many books.
Gradually making shift to e-book. Reading my first now & getting comfortable!
Use my iPad for many magazines, but like to highlight books and prefer feel of holding book.
Are you trying to make me feel old? It worked.
I like to highlight, etc.

When I began my journey writing Guide to CFO Success two years ago, I had never read an e-book. As I was about to become an author and my book would be made available as an e-book, I felt it was important to understand what an e-book was all about, so I bought an Amazon Kindle. Today, reading an e-book on my tablet or phone is my preferred method of reading, but I enjoy the senses that come from reading and handling a real book.

As the holiday season approaches, consider an e-book as a gift for your favorite CFO. You can tell them that Samuel says they should try it out and join their forward looking peers that are making their way through the digital age.

(I won’t tell them that a main reason you bought them an e-book was because they are very easy to purchase as a last minute gift.)

Happy Thanksgiving,

Samuel

I am fortunate to speak with hundreds of executives each year, in addition to those that I follow and track. Over the years, I have learned a lot about success, what works and what doesn’t, from these talented leaders.

One area that successful executives have in common is their ability to get the best out of their corporate relationships. No matter the discipline of the C-suite executive, their technical ability is just the base upon which they start having an impact on their organization. The CXO is not an island, but is integrated into an ecosystem that is mutually dependent. The success of any executive relies on others. Those who recognize, nurture and sustain successful corporate relationships are those that accomplish more.

My blogging and recent book, Guide to CFO Success, focuses on my primary audience, the CFO and the Office of Finance. Some of the content is CFO specific, but the guidance with respect to relationships applies across the executive suite. Guide to CFO Success spends a few chapters dealing with relationship management for the Chief Financial Officer. A key tool in this discussion is my CFO Relationship Map, a copy of which is visible below.

While I created the Relationship Map for my discussion with my Finance audience, this Relationship Map is useful to all executives who wish to succeed in their own environment.

The Relationship Map is a graphical representation of the areas of corporate relationships. They include who you work for (at the top of the map), who you work with (internally, on the right of the map, and externally on the left), as well as those that support you (your team).

In the CFO Relationship Map, you’ll notice that the CFO reports to the CEO, Board and Investors, and works with the other executives of the company internally. The CFO has a number of important outside relationships, which can include bankers, lawyers, auditors and other advisors. And, as I say in my book, the CFO can only be as good as the team they have allows them to be.

Depending on your own situation, your personal Relationship Map will look different. However, like other executives, you have people you work for, work with internally as well as externally, and have people that support you.

To read the full article on the BlueSteps Executive Career Insider Blog at this link.

You can also map out your own relationships, using this blank Relationship Map or by creating your own.

Do CFOs read e-books?

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Archives for November 2014

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