So much is expected of the corporate CEO. He or she must be the conduit to external funding, banking connections, and venture capitalists. Yet there are incredible internal obligations as well. Not only is the
So, what does it take?
As Chief Funding Officer the CFO must maintain outstanding relationships with the financial, banking and funding communities. This require a high degree of networking at a very senior level and an outstanding reputation. This is the three piece suit executive.
As Leader/Manager of the Finance Dept. the CFO must be the manager of his/her managers- and thus must have excellent observation and
As head of the Human Resource and Organizational arm of the corporation, a whole new set of soft skills becomes mandatory. Most of the staff in these departments are not measured by the quantity of their work, but how well they interact with others, train others, handle conflict, etc. So, their leader must have these skills to. Evaluating and holding people accountable in these areas is quite different than managing payroll clerks, A/P and A/R experts, etc.
Often accountants become controller and controllers become CFOs. Generally speaking the cognitive style of these people is precise and detailed. As they rise the corporate ladder, they perhaps more than many of their other colleagues need to stretch their style to include those who are theoretical and emotional in styles. That requires a great commitment to doing well and
I have an enormous amount of respect for those CFOs who wear these many hats well.