Trust is the CFO's True Currency.

People-First Leadership

The most important responsibility I have in my role as a consultant and CFO is to build trust and reflect empathically on the daily work lives of the employees I now work alongside. For many of them, I may be the first or second consultant they may have ever worked with. I am a stranger seemingly plucked off the street by the CEO to help the Company solve problems they did not even know existed. Its a daunting task, trust building. But it pays off. Research from Gallup shows that highly engaged teams deliver 21% more profitability. In my experience, not enough CFOs are take a people-first approach to their work. The technical work is challenging, but not as challenging as building an engaged team.

Trust Through Presence

It’s easy to dictate terms; harder to earn trust. In one engagement, executives didn't tell all the stakeholders that I would be working with the Company. I was a secret. I spent time with those who were in the tent on issues they knew only marginally. It was difficult for them to answer my questions the first few times we met, and we worked through it. “Empathy is the keystone of social intelligence,” notes leadership expert Daniel Goleman. I adjusted my timelines and expectations, and thanked them for stretching as much as they had as it was important to me that I do a good job, and the info they were given me was critical to that. Demonstrating empathy in action built trust faster than any PowerPoint could.

Connecting Change to Personal Growth

Change is hard. Its easier for consultants, and really hard on our clients. Rolling out a new approach to anything can feel threatening. When I introduced one to a team proud of manual expertise, a veteran FP&A analyst mentioned that he though this job was at risk. As noted in the Harvard Business Review, “People leave managers, not companies.” This was all on me. I positioned the rollout as an opportunity for him to be a thought leader on how this new level of automation and accuracy could open up a variety of new benefits for the Company. He could migrate from a spreadsheet techocrat to his highest and best use of providing insights to leadership. He soon became the implementation champion, and has progressed in his career as a result.

Rituals That Matter

Small rituals humanize work. And at times, Corporate Finance can feel very transactional and greed-oriented at its core. At one client, weekend wins and weekday worries surfaced in a weekly “Wins and Woes” circle. Sharing personal stories alongside process improvements fostered empathy and collaboration amongst team members. Research shows that recognition can boost morale and retention by over 30% . I've also created programs where employees can reward each other other for living the Company's values, everyday and in real time over Slack. It was amazing to see others call each other out for being awesome.

Trust is the CFO’s True Currency

Finance isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet; it’s about empowering people to get things done. Every forecast, every report, every recommendation depends on the trust people place in my leadership. Without that trust, even the best laid plans will sit unused and unheeded.

As CFOs and consultants, our tools may be financial, but our greatest impact comes from understanding and empowering the people we work with. Prioritize empathy, transparent communication, and ongoing development—and you’ll see your strategies brought to life by committed, motivated teams.