Do our people know what we want them to do?

“Do they believe it is the right thing to do?

Do they have the right skills and the ability to deliver?

Are they motivated and inspired to do it? #Leaders play a very critical role in assessing all these questions” Arif Kamal from the 24th video of the series “#GlobalLeadershipHypothesis – what makes a great leader?”

Great leaders empower the people going on the journey with them, so they are motivated enough and inspired to deliver themselves. Leaders recognise they need to delegate and can’t do everything themselves.

Other elements of the conversation:

❇️Own motivation & certainty on your capabilities and abilities

❇️ Inspiring, confident and a good communicator

❇️ Leaders create more leaders & aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty

❇️ Someone is never too junior to play a role or contribute

❇️Getting answers & unlocking the brilliance of the team

❇️Fear of the unknown holds leaders back

❇️Adapting & viewing failure as doing things differently

❇️Being a lifelong learner & thrive on change

❇️Importance of establishing culture through role modelling

❇️Start change by behaving differently yourself

Interested in Leadership and what makes a great leader? Visit The Global Leadership Hypothesis for a range of interviews with Chairman of Boards, finance professionals, influencers, thought leaders, leadership consultants and many more

https://www.globalleadershiphypothesis.com/home-page-glhypo

Are we terrible at unleashing human potential as leaders?

Irrespective of technological advances the magic ingredient is the people around us and unlocking their potential to create possibilities in Finance.

Great leaders are those that understand the situational context, what is most needed from them, their purpose and how to adapt their leadership to inspire and collectively drive significant impact & outcomes for everyone.

Fellowship is the new leadership, always underpinned by a level of humility. Some key messages in the conversation for the 23rd video of the series “#GlobalLeadershipHypothesi s – what makes a great leader?” with Zahra Bahrololoumi.

Other elements of the conversation:

❇️Create the magic ring of warmth for others

❇️Identify team players who garner followers vs lone wolfs

❇️ Assess areas of need, where we can add most value & identifying 2-3 items that make the biggest difference in line with the vision

❇️Assess the talent around you

❇️Continually praise and reward the right behaviours

❇️Drive the most mutually successful outcomes

❇️Give people clarity on their role and how they fit in with the purpose

❇️Deliver through others

❇️Pointing out mistakes vs saving relationships

https://www.globalleadershiphypothesis.com/home-page-glhypo

Are you too self-absorbed as a leader❓

Sometimes we get so caught up in what we are doing; our deadlines, targets and to-do list. We focus on our achievements, forget the people around us and our real job as leaders. Sometimes we do not even realise the impact on the team.

We are there to develop and grow others, reach objectives through them, empower them and get out of their way to let them do their jobs. We are supposed to lead through our teams to drive success.

This was a core message during the 13th interview with Lance Rubin for the series #GlobalLeadershipHypothesiss – what makes a great leader?”

Some of the things we can do to focus more on the team and show their importance:

❇️Regular team engagement sessions (virtually with breakout rooms and virtual post-it notes to gather views)

❇️Create a sense of belonging through a powerful purpose statement crafted as a team

❇️Understand each individuals’ values and how this impacts their behaviours

❇️ Understand each other’s strengths and the overall profile of our team

❇️ The lacking team elements for emotional safety how to improve this.

Look back and think about your impact this week. Don’t judge; you can always do better next week. Consciousness is key ‼️

#leadershipdevelopment #CFO

https://www.globalleadershiphypothesis.com/home-page-glhypo

I want to feel like I make a difference💡

I want to feel like I am in control of what I do and achieve 🎯
I don’t want to feel like I am on a rollercoaster driven by the external environment, sentiment or challenges 🎢
I want to feel like I can take a break, pause, reflect. Think about what has gone well, where I am going and what might have gone wrong 😮‍💨
I have to acknowledge the impact of COVID on how I feel and interact 🦠
I agree that my mindset might need to adjust. I need to be more agile and flexible 🧠
I might need to surround myself with energy angels and moments that inspire me to keep going 😇
I might need to rely on those around me and it might feel scary. 😱
I know that things are tough for many #financeleaders #financebusinesspartner(s) and executives (#cfos)
I am coaching & mentoring four senior executives who are all reporting greater workload, more challenges, less time to work and to some extent overwhelm.
My thoughts are with all of you! 💓
Find time to take a break, find time to breathe deeply, take care of yourself and spend time doing things that charge and refuel your battery
We can’t run on empty and sometimes we just need to take a break for a minute and reframe things around us.
What energises you❓

https://www.globalleadershiphypothesis.com/home-page-glhypo

The journey from technocrat to emotionally intelligent entrepreneur

At the beginning of her career, it was all about the numbers and targets for Ibilola Amao Ph.D, but she soon realised the importance of meeting the needs of individuals, mapping core competencies to the solutions tailored to those needs and the delivery of solutions. These are the top focus areas for budding entrepreneurs.

It’s all about considering the journey an adventure and converting stumbling blocks to steppingstones, whilst being open-minded, positive and finding opportunities.

Acknowledging it’s not about you or what you know, it is all about teamwork to be successful.

Other elements of the conversation for the 22nd video of the series “#GlobalLeadershipHypothesis – what makes a great leader?”:

❇️Empathy, humility, emotional intelligence & being sensitive to your community

❇️Connecting with people on their needs

❇️ Being a team player

❇️Balancing external & internal needs as an entrepreneur

❇️Connectivity between external & internal stakeholders

❇️Understanding what drives individual team members

❇️Wearing different cultural lenses

❇️Self-doubt holds leaders back

❇️Having the right support system

https://www.globalleadershiphypothesis.com/home-page-glhypo

The diary of a serial Finance Director (FD)

What skills does a serial FD need to have?

What do I mean by serial CFO or FD? Someone that is not limited to one sector or industry and that moves around at a very senior Finance level between organisations over several years.

The crucial ingredients are to be agile, to love learning & continuous challenges.

I recently interviewed Guillaume Turlin, for the 21st video of the series “#GlobalLeadershipHypothesis – what makes a great leader?”

I asked him about the crucial ingredients:

❇️The ability to transform frustrations, or not understanding something into a positive like learning something new, solving a new challenge or supporting someone to add value (positive mindset).

❇️Always being curious to learn. Understanding that we might not be good at it yet, but that we can still learn and develop (displaying a learning and growth mindset).

❇️Nurturing relationships at all levels in organisations. Being able to learn from everyone, interact with anyone and see their innate value.

❇️Blending different skills to ensure success, e.g. digital- vs traditional ways of doing things.

Do you need to be more agile and have a learning approach in your role❓

#leadershipdevelopment #teamwork

https://www.globalleadershiphypothesis.com/home-page-glhypo

A leadership superpower – collective team development

Are you using this superpower effectively?

Continuously developing yourself and your team can have huge benefits and lead to making a big impact.

When people brainstorm a challenge or collaboratively work together to solve problems, they are developing together.

You can deliver so much more when you focus as a team. The catch is to make this part of the schedule. It is so easy to get sucked into the closest deadline.

However, consistent focus on the team creates a sense of belonging, a desirable team dynamic and increases performance.

I discussed this topic in the interview with Brad Eisenhuth for the 20th video of the series “#GlobalLeadershipHypothesis – what makes a great leader?”

Activities that you can do as a collective team:

❇️Create a list of challenges to solve together (20min brainstorms)

❇️ Create a team purpose together

❇️Analise the collective team values and supporting behaviours

❇️Creating a team communication charter

❇️Capture an overview of team strengths to leverage differences

Direct message me if you are having team challenges and would like more ideas.

Please share your ideas about developing your team as a collective in the comments.

#leadershipdevelopment #teamwork

https://www.globalleadershiphypothesis.com/home-page-glhypo

Do we suck at empathy in #Finance because the deadline wins❓

Recently someone asked if we should have empathy with someone’s personal situation when we are at risk of missing a deadline.

People are our most important asset. If we are not there to support them in their need, why should they give us their brilliance and extra effort next time.

We are often very analytical and not in touch with our emotions in business.

A coachee recently asked how he could show genuine empathy? He mentioned some people are good at faking it and using the right words.

#Empathy has three levels:

↗️Cognitive – where we understand the other person’s perspective

↗️Emotional – the ability to feel what another person feels

↗️Empathetic concern – the ability to sense what someone else needs from us.

The solution is to put ourselves for a moment in the other person’s shoes. This is not what I think and feel in their shoes, rather what they think and feel.

I learnt people don’t want to do a bad job. Sometimes circumstances are against them, they are in the wrong role or need more support in executing. My role as leader is to find out why and help solve it for everyone.

Let me know in the comments, like the post or dm me if you want a copy of the mini blueprint.

#leadership #cfo

https://www.globalleadershiphypothesis.com/home-page-glhypo

Do we dare to think differently in Finance❓

Do we dare to focus on creating a tribe and learning from failure in finance?

Do you feel safe to say what you really think and be who you are?

Does your leader listen to you and create willing followers?

Do you feel like you are part of a journey that matters?

Does your team have the conditions (culture) that will help you achieve and grow?

Is your team more than the sum of the parts and are you supporting your leader to be better?

Do you make time for finding solutions together?

Some of the key questions (above) answered & messages (below) from the interview with Brad Eisenhuth for the 20th video of the series “#GlobalLeadershipHypothesis – what makes a great leader?” are

❇️ Capacity to listen first

❇️A lack of humility can hold leaders back

❇️Giving others a sense of belief in their willingness to grow

❇️Leadership does not start at the top

❇️Values fit is crucial

❇️Start with the end in mind & what makes the biggest difference now

❇️Creating experiences for others & focus on how they feel

❇️ Maximise quality of communication

How do you think differently❓

Link to free interviews ⬇️⬇️⬇️

https://www.globalleadershiphypothesis.com/home-page-glhypo

#leadershipdevelopment #CFO

Why does my “accountant” always make me feel like an idiot ?

I have had a few interactions now where I walk away
and feel like:

❇️ I have done something wrong

❇️I should have known better

❇️I should be or become the expert and

❇️ the worst one – feeling stupid

So often in finance, we forget it is not what we ask that is the issue, it is how we ask and the resultant way other people feel.

Perhaps its uplifting for the ‘accountant’ (can be replaced by CFO, finance director, controller, business partner, financial modeller, -manager, FP&A manager) to feel

↗️Superior 📈

↗️Have more knowledge 🧠

↗️Gossip that the other person just doesn’t get it 🦧

↗️Joke that you will weigh them down/get them on board later

The result when you make your counterpart feel inferior (even if we all know the other party is responsible for their own feelings)

⬇️NO influence

⬇️DISTRUST

⬇️NO Relationship

⬇️Ruined mood

⬇️Hard work to get what you need next time

How should we make counterparts feel?

🎯We are genuinely interested in them

🎯We understand their perspective

🎯We are here to support a positive outcome for both

Think about how you communicate today and consider
how you make those around you feel‼️

#financeleaders #CFO #financebusinesspartner

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