CFO Buzz is a news feature capturing top stories affecting CFOs. This feature is published Fridays so that CFOs can gain perspective over the weekend, allowing them to challenge themselves and think about how to improve their lives, careers and companies.
1) CFOs continue to find it difficult to hire and retain
Supply and demand are not new concepts to CFOs. While CFOs are able to apply this in innovative ways to operational and financial issues in their business, they continue to face challenges in solving the supply and demand side issues for talent hiring and retention. From my perspective, the focus on short-term results continues to hamper good talent planning and decision making.
Companies Seek to Acquire and Hire – CFO.com
2) Executives need to build a leadership brand
When an executive starts at a new company, they inherit a team. Building leadership and trust is one of the key immediate challenges a new executive has. Many CFOs I speak with realize this is a challenge when they begin, but some do not give it the priority it needs. If you lead your team to where you need them to go, you will succeed. There are good ideas in this article.
Executive transitions: Your team is your brand – Deloitte University Press
3) Fixing ethics in a company culture
This is one story of a CFO fixing a broken company culture to rebuild a strong, ethical group that would impact the business positively. These are important lessons to keep in mind to ensure the culture of the organizations we are responsible for stay ethical.
4) CFO: Add “Storyteller” to the job description
It is no longer sufficient for a CFO to know what the numbers mean. She has to be able to tell a story, and be convincing, authoritative, authentic and trustworthy. This is all part of the transition of the CFO role from keeper of the numbers to leader driving the business.
The fine art of telling the story behind the numbers
5) Communication: It’s not about you
The ability to connect well with others is a strength that top CFOs have. CFOs accomplish a lot when they are able to get different parties with varied interests working together towards a common goal. Communication skills development is a worthy investment. Here are some good tips on connecting well with others.
5 Ways to Instantly Connect With Anyone You Meet – TIME
Some of Samuel’s other CFO stuff this week
CFO Moves – Moves across the USA – week ending November 27, 2015
Tweet of the week
Pragmatic leaders get things done, but at a cost? 3 signs your #leadership style is too tough https://t.co/TAgmEQk42W via @ChiefExecGrp #CEO
— Cathy Logue (@CatLogueAmbit) December 2, 2015
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