Four critical traits for finance leaders’ success
‘The role of CFO should be to enable a conversation about the right way forward with people who are experts in their fields’. Kay Smith, Group CFO, Amwins Global Risk
The Connected Influencer thrives on engagement. They act as a partner to the CEO, actively interacting with all members of the Executive Committee and keeping a pulse on the organisation to challenge and influence decisions on how to maximise value delivery.
Underpinning attributes and mindsets 1. Emotional intelligence 2. Listening 3. Influence
‘The idea of being disruptive and reinventing is going to be absolutely critical, especially the role of finance in challenging the business to be disruptive and to reinvent itself’. Andrew Harding, Chief Executive, Management Accounting (UK) – AICPA® & CIMA®
The Authentic Disruptor displays a growth mindset, constantly challenging existing ways of working to inform changes to strategic direction. They do this all in an authentic, purposeful way to become a highly trusted partner to the business.
Underpinning attributes and mindsets 1. Growth orientation 2. Challenge 3. Authenticity
‘One place the CFO really has the competitive edge is as a powerful storyteller, harnessing the power of data to tell the story of the business and to inform decision-making’. Alan Trotter, EMEA CFO, Invesco
The Inquisitive Storyteller connects dots between multiple sources of information to tell an honest story to the business. Their curiosity and thirst for insight lead them to constantly question the data, challenging assumptions and insisting business decision-making is informed by insight.
Underpinning attributes and mindsets 1. Curiosity 2. Critical thinking 3. Storytelling
‘Critical to the finance function of the future is being able to knit the data competency, technology competency, and process engineering competency together to create value’. Jeff Davies, CFO, Legal & General
The Rational Value Creator uses judgement to confront complexity. They are in constant pursuit of long-term business value, extending beyond traditional financial metrics to non-financial KPIs, acting as an independent adviser to inform business decisions.
Underpinning attributes and mindsets 1. Confronting complexity 2. Sense-making 3. Value creation