Business Acumen
Standing Out as a CFO
Going beyond the conventional wisdom. Approach the job differently. “The person who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The person who walks alone is likely…
Read MoreContract Terms that ???? and ???? CFOs
Benchmarks for what to Avoid, what is Acceptable, and what is Ideal. You’ve just closed a big new client or firmed up that large renewal and shared the news on…
Read MoreSelecting Metrics to Track Business Performance
“That which is measured improves. That which is measured and reported improves exponentially.” – Karl Pearson As modern humans we love to measure things. We measure so that we know how…
Read MoreThe Visionary, the Doer, and the Strategist
The optimal mix of leadership skills in building a successful company. “omne trium perfectum” —Latin saying translated as “Everything that comes in threes is perfect.” (This post was inspired by…
Read MoreDo You Want to Hire a ‘Head of’, ‘VP’ or ‘C-Level’?
“There are really three parts of this question of the right people. The first is the right people on the bus. Second is the wrong people off the bus. But…
Read MoreThoughts on Preparing for a Board Meeting
“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.” — Brandon Sanderson (science fiction and fantasy writer) …
Read MoreHumans Collaborating With or At Odds With Computers?
Reducing the Risk of ‘Being Replaced’ “Compassion: that’s the one thing no machine ever had. Maybe it’s the one thing that keeps men ahead of them.” — Dr. McCoy, The…
Read MoreInnovation and Finance
Redefining the Role of the Finance Leader “I skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” — Wayne Gretzky Innovation and finance. Those two words…
Read MoreThinking Versus Doing
Doing is celebrated. Thinking is underrated. Encourage thinking time on your teams. “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” — Voltaire This is one of the…
Read MoreReflections on the 48 Hour Meltdown of SVB
A business school case study in the making. This past Thursday morning, SVB‘s balance sheet strength was not top of mind. When I got wind of what was going on,…
Read MoreFractional Work: The Pros & Cons from the Perspective of the Worker
“I don’t like work–no man does–but I like what is in the work–the chance to find yourself. Your own reality–for yourself not for others…” ― Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness…
Read MoreValue Depends on Quality
For businesses, it is the quality of revenues and earnings that matter. “Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.” — Steve Jobs…
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