Episodes
From Comfort To Excellence: Aligning Finance Teams For Real Impact
Send us a text Episode #148: Comfort feels safe, but it quietly taxes our careers and our teams. We take on complacency head-on and show how alignment, clear standards, and better conversations can turn routine finance work into strategic results. From setting the pace as a leader to running meetin…
From Reporting to Relevance: Building Capacity through Alignment, Aut…
Send us a text Episode #147: Too many finance teams are stuck formatting data while the decisions fly by. We tackle a smarter way to work: build capacity by aligning effort to strategy, automating the grind, and developing the skills that turn reports into results. Stephen McLean walks through a pr…
Strategic Accounting, Not Just Reporting
Send us a text Episode 146: What if your accounting team did more than close the books—what if they helped shape outcomes before the month even ends? We explore how to evolve accounting from a reporting function into a true strategic partner that translates numbers into decisions. From building bus…
FP&A and Operations: Creating Powerful Partnerships for Strategic Gro…
Send us a text Episode 145: What happens when your FP&A team operates in isolation from the people actually running your business? Nothing good. The gap between finance and operations isn't just an organizational issue—it's a strategic vulnerability that could be costing your company significan…
Manipulative Leadership: When Positivity Becomes a Weapon
Send us a text Bonus Episode #97: Ever wonder if your relentless optimism is actually harming your team? Drawing from Mita Mallik's Harvard Business Review article "Does your Boss Practice Toxic Positivity," this eye-opening episode explores how excessive positivity can become a manipulative weapon…
Finance Leader Learning Priorities Now
Send us a text Bonus episode #96: This episode delivers a concise, actionable guide to the three most crucial learning priorities for finance leaders in the coming year: 1) using artificial intelligence to elevate your analys...
Revisiting Coaching Effort: How Did the Las Vegas Aces Perform?
Send us a text Bonus episode #95: What happens when a leader stops coaching effort and starts demanding it? The transformative power of high expectations takes center stage in this eye-opening exploration of leadership principles that transcend industries. Drawing inspiration from WNBA coach Becky …
Change Is Not Just Inevitable—It's Your Competitive Edge
Send us a text Bonus Episode #94: Change isn't just knocking at your door—it's already in your house, rearranging the furniture. As finance leaders, our ability to navigate and drive transformation determines whether our organizations thrive or merely survive in today's dynamic business landscape. …
Forensic Accounting: The World of Financial Detectives
Send us a text Episode 144: Dive into the fascinating world of financial detective work as we explore the specialized field of forensic accounting. Ever wondered who tracks down financial criminals or how complex fraud schemes are uncovered? This episode pulls back the curtain on a career path that…
Developing an Effective Audit Strategy to Support Business Objectives
Send us a text Episode 143: Financial integrity isn't optional—it's essential. That's why developing a structured, effective audit plan stands as one of the most critical responsibilities for finance leaders today. This episode unveils a nine-step framework for creating audit plans that deliver gen…
Protecting Financial Health Through Strategic Risk Analysis
Send us a text Find the downloadable skills guides here: Finance Leader Academy Episode 142: Financial risk assessment stands as the cornerstone of effective auditing—the crucial process that separates calculated risk-taking from reckless decision-making. This deep dive into organizational risk man…
The Audit Team Manager: How Audit Leadership Drives Organizational Su…
Send us a text Episode 141: Curious about what makes audit teams tick? Dive into the crucial yet often misunderstood world of audit team management where leadership goes far beyond checking boxes and finding faults. Audit managers stand as guardians of financial integrity, straddling the strategic …
The Audit Blueprint: CFO's Guide to Financial Integrity
Send us a text Episode 140: Financial integrity isn't just about compliance—it's the cornerstone of organizational trust and success. In this thought-provoking exploration of the audit function, we dive deep into how forward-thinking CFOs are transforming what's often viewed as a necessary evil int…
Audit & Risk: Season 20 Preview
Send us a text Bonus episode #93: Leadership isn't about mastering spreadsheets—it's about transforming information into strategic action. In this preview of Season 20 of the Finance Leader Podcast, Stephen McLean unveils an exciting five-episode journey exploring audit, risk, and independence thro…
The Bridge Builder: Leadership as Your First Priority
Send us a text Bonus episode #92: Leadership is the bridge between resources and results, between data and decisions. While many finance professionals focus intensely on technical skills, the truly exceptional ones recognize that leadership development must come first. This episode makes a compelli…
Focus Over Distraction: A Check-in on Our 2025 Goals
Send us a text Bonus Episode #91: Ever feel like time is slipping away while your biggest goals remain unfulfilled? You're not alone. The difference between dreaming and achieving often comes down to one critical factor: your ability to stay focused in a world designed to distract you. We explore t…
Leadership Lessons on Coaching Effort
Send us a text Episode 139: Are you responsible for coaching your team's effort level? The question struck me after hearing WNBA Coach Becky Hammon's bold post-game declaration following a tough loss: "I will not coach effort." Her philosophy is clear—professional athletes must bring 100% effort or…
Breaking Free from the Performance Rut: How Leaders Can Overcome Comp…
Send us a text Episode 138: Are you giving your absolute best, or just enough to get by? That comfortable routine might actually be your biggest career threat. The silent killer of professional excellence is complacency – that subtle shift from passionate engagement to simply going through the moti…
Transforming Businesses without Sacrificing Employee Satisfaction: In…
Send us a text Episode 137: What if the key to transforming your business lies not in adding more resources, but in simply understanding how your employees move through their workspace? In this eye-opening conversation with S...
Building the Future of Contract Management - Interview with the CEO o…
Send us a text Episode #136: Matt Lhoumeau, CEO of Concord Worldwide, takes us on his extraordinary journey from founding his first company at 17 to revolutionizing how businesses handle their contracts. Connect with Matt Lho...
Challenging Your Thought Process
Send us a text Mindset forms the bedrock of effective leadership. The way we think shapes our decisions, influences how we solve problems, and determines the trajectory of our professional journey. But how often do we examine...
A Review of Personal Accountability to Continue Your Pathway Towards …
Send us a text Bonus episode #89: A powerful accountability framework can be the difference between another year of unfulfilled potential and remarkable achievement in your finance career. Whether you're aiming for the CFO ch...
Outdated Processes: The Silent Killer of Company Growth
Send us a text Bonus episode #88: Your internal business processes are either empowering your team or quietly sabotaging your organization's success. As finance leaders, we must ensure our systems add value rather than create...
Leadership Essentials Revisited
Send us a text Bonus episode # 87: Where are your 2025 goals right now? If you've stalled or need to recalibrate, you're not alone. Sometimes life shifts dramatically after we set our annual targets, requiring us to adjust wi...