Guide to CFO Success: Leadership Strategies for Corporate Financial Professionals

CHAPTER SIX

Starting Your New CFO Role

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE ACCEPTED a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) role. You're excited about the new opportunity, yet a wave of anxiety is about to hit (if it hasn't hit already).

How do you ensure that you will be successful in this new role?

Traditionally, a new President of the United States is given 100 days in office to get things in order before being held accountable and responsible. You, too, as a new CFO, will generally be given a window to get started until you, too, are held accountable and responsible. Whether the number of days used is 90, 100, or 180, the number is less relevant than the fact that you have a honeymoon period.

How you get yourself started during your first 100 days sets the tone for the remainder of your term. You will never be able to get back the ability to start over in your CFO role. Now is the time to properly plan and prepare for how you will accomplish the great things that are expected of you with your new company.

ONBOARDING

The process of properly starting off at your new employment is known as onboarding. You may be fortunate to receive onboarding coaching and assistance from your new employer that can help you get started out of the gate effectively and efficiently. If you have not been offered this assistance, you will need to get this done by yourself.

When I asked my CFO advisors if their employers ...