Leadership from being a CFO to become a CEO - Headhunter view

As experienced headhunters, we are used to spotting talent in a short time, we see
the aspects that we can call more “hard” such as the experiences in the race, the e x pertize
acquired, the results achieved and steps in the career that an executive carried out to reach his current
position. However, the most important thing is that we identify the degree of development of competencies
"Soft and social". These are more difficult to detect, measure and evaluate but are key to assuming a
position and adapt to a certain organizational culture.
When
I evaluate a candidate who is currently a CFO and who could be presented to be a
CEO, I review your career, achievements and training, but I focus more on
know and evaluate these soft and social skills. And why do I do that? In general CFOs
traditional is are perceived as follows
? They are well prepared for academics (accountant is one of the most complete professions)
? They are numerical and therefore are more inclined to be "task oriented than people oriented"
? They are more tactical than strategic, they look more at accounting than at planning and management)
? In general, they are serious, not very empathetic, introverted, and not very team developers. Sometimes
quiet disciplined and not sociable
? They are loyal, they take care of the company, they have ethical values, but they can be seen as "Mr. NO"!
However,
These characteristics are probably not the most suitable for becoming a CEO because
is required:
? Ambition and being encouraged to take challenges beyond your comfort zone
? Have good team management, leadership and a vocation to develop people
? Communicate well, have a certain capacity for public speaking, empathy and power of influence
? Have a longer-term strategic vision, knowledge of the business as a whole, have
a certain commercial profile, be sociable, be tech friendly, flexible and open to innovation
? Have contacts and good networking (internal and external) and seek to have work experiences
out of the country
Then,
Let's analyze what challenges they should face and what competencies they should develop those CFOs with the potential to be considered candidates for a CEO position.
First you have to be brave, be willing to take risks and have ambition to grow in your life.
race. Many CFOs have had a rather conservative career and do not "raise" their hand to ask
an opportunity for greater responsibility. They are not very proactive in taking control of their career and expect
be recognized. On the contrary, you have to take risks, worry about continuous learning, be
technology friendly, and be interested in having a comprehensive vision of the business and not just seeing
"(Which is so typical of accountants).
Second
Second, not only should or should not only have experience in managing people, but also be able to exercise leadership leadership of your team. team. They are two different aspects. Managing people is different aspects. Managing people is more operative and operative and, although it is not something, although it is not something easy, easy because nobody is born knowing how to be a boss, being a leader is because nobody is born knowing how to be a boss, being a leader is still much much more difficult and sometimes it is difficult and sometimes you have that competition that competition and sometimes I don't know and sometimes you don't have it. have.
At the moment
Currently, it is not enough to be a good manager, it is not enough to be a good manager, having a participatory, participative, human touch management style, concerned with developing its people and touch, concerned with developing its people and in build good teams (with people even better than one). build good teams (with people even better than one). This is necessary, necessary, but not enough, but not enough to become a respected and admired leader. Become a respected and admired leader. . Leadership is Leadership is something that something that is within the DNA within the DNA of each professional of each professional that can develop, develop, but to a certain point when to a certain point when it is not an innate ability. it is not an innate ability. Always It is always advisable to take an evaluation (“management is advisable to take an evaluation (“ management assessment ”) to get to know each other better, have good feedback, determine assessment actions”) to get to know each other better, have good feedback, determine development actions and seek development and looking for a good mentor good mentor (better internal than external) (better internal than external) ...
Third, you have to know the business in an integral way, know the business in an integral way and, and, in particular, its part, its most complex part, which is the complex that is the commercial and commercial and try to do it in the field visiting clients doing it in the field visiting clients, seeking to close deals, seeking to close deals and understanding what and understanding what a good customer experience means a good customer experience. . I find many CFOs who are more than saying "I find many CFOs who are more about saying" you can't, can't "" than trying to see how it is done to "help" those "commercial fools." he does to "help" those "commercial fools." You have to be a generalist generalist and get out of the silo of the function the function ((get out of the office! Out of the office!), Understand the political and power networks of the companies), understand the networks policies and power of companies and do a lot of internal and external networking and do a lot of internal and external networking. This will facilitate performance. This will make it possible to facilitate the day-to-day performance of the day to day (and have (and have career opportunities), career opportunities), develop the skills to develop the skills of influence and collaboration, influence and collaboration, and also work in and also work in such a way. inter-functional mode. functional.
Bedroom
Fourth, there are personality characteristics that help, there are personality characteristics that help grow to grow, such as being humble, communicative, giving humble, communicative, giving face and face and having a disposition towards new challenges. new challenges. On the other hand, you should try to work outside. On the other hand, one should try to work outside the country, either assigned or by projects, since the country, either assigned or by projects, since the multicultural experience, multicultural experience contributes to "open the" to "open the mind", mind ”, understand others understand other idiosyncrasies idiosyncrasies, be more flexible and adaptable be more flexible and adaptable to new structures, new organizational structures. . In addition, in addition, relationships are cultivated ((network) network) that are often key in key in the careers of the executives of the executives.
Finally, lastly, a good CEO has that a good CEO has to "" not only know not only what to do but to do but how to do it "or to do it." . And here, in the "how", in the "how" we "weigh the values, the values, the soft and social skills that will be the soft and social skills that will be even more important in this new important in this new world digital, volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous, where there will be a digital world, volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous, where many changes will have to go through. There will be many changes. It will be necessary to adapt, understand to adapt, to understand how to work, to work by projects by projects in organizations in “leanlean” organizations, more horizontal and horizontal and transparent transparent, where it will be necessary, where it will be necessary to manage diverse teams and diverse teams and of several generations of several generations,, and with a lot with a lot of technology technology .. It will be a new juncture to a new juncture VVIICACA that will force those ambitious and capable CFOs to force those ambitious and capable CFOs to be alert, prepared, and ready to be alert, prepared, and willing to face it face it to become a CEO to become a successful CEO.

Eduardo Suárez Battán

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