Episodes

Send us Fan Mail Episode # 107: Team engagement is such an important daily exercise that it can affect how well your team members succeed or not. Team members who are positively engaged are more productive, more efficient, and more motivated to do a great job. And team member engagement begins with us as leaders. We must be leaders of great character and integrity. Positive team member engagement leads to growth and high-quality output. Invest in yourself to be a better leader so you can furt...

Send us Fan Mail Episode # 106: What drives you to achieve excellence? To achieve your BEST every day? Learning is a big part of our journey in achieving excellence, so what helps you to stay motivated to learn and grow? I believe we must stay curious and be curious to continue to develop and improve each day. Our learning approach helps to expand our capacity AND our potential. Stay and be curious in our profession so you learn new skills and new ways to lead your team and organization to mo...

Send us Fan Mail The predictions are out for 2023 for Finance and Accounting, and it looks interesting. Our fields continue to be in high demand. What are the types of roles that are in demand right now, and what type of work are people looking for? And what are the technology and professional trends for the upcoming year? We continue to face change and turbulence in the economy so it’s imperative that we stay in the know about what is happening. This is our profession. And I want you to embr...

Send us Fan Mail Strategy is a decision around what market you will pursue and with what product and service mix and more importantly - how you will employ your resources to serve that market properly, so your company becomes profitable. Companies don’t have unlimited resources, so they must make very deliberate, data-driven, and leader-guided decisions to make those difficult choices. This is where you, a finance leader, comes in. Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2....

Send us Fan Mail What can you do better to make a positive difference? Team engagement is a necessity. If your team is quiet, it doesn’t mean things are necessary going well. You have to engage with them and continually be assessing where you can affect positive change and ensure the work continues to a high level. So, how should you engage with your team to make them better, to create a better work environment, and to foster a greater work experience? Tools for better team engagement...

Send us Fan Mail Bonus episode # 56: Be careful not to take back the "task monkey" who is wanting and waiting to jump on someone else. You may even have a team member who does this often to you so be watching and careful so you stop taking on their tasks. Be a leader and a coach and watch your own discretionary time. Source: Harvard Business Review (1999), "Management Time: Who's Got The Monkey" Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclainiii 3. Facebook: ...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to be a leader? How do you know if you are leading correctly? Leadership is hard sometimes. It takes practice and sometimes failure to get it right. With leadership, always begin with yourself. Are you setting the right example for others to follow? Will others willingly follow you, especially in a crisis or a tough situation? When something goes wrong, what are your first actions? Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclain...

Send us Fan Mail Bonus episode # 54: This week, I am sharing Episode 88, Earning a Promotion to Manager. What does it take to be promoted from individual contributor to manager? You must show potential for greater responsibility. You need a combination of mature soft skills, good character and high emotional intelligence, deliver results every time, and be able to treat people fairly without bias. These qualities really apply to every promotion no matter the level of responsibility. Please...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 104: Our professional credentials show our commitment level in becoming an expert in the finance and accounting fields. These are badges of knowledge and expertise that show our level of technical knowledge, strategy, and in leadership. Earning professional credentials demonstrates our dedication to learning and growing so that we can provide the best level of service and advice in often tough situations. The Finance and accounting fields are constantly evolving...

Send us Fan Mail Episode #103: I am sharing what it means to set a plan and then to stay organized and focused so you can go achieve it. You must be persistent, and never quit. You can assess and reorganize, but never quit. What will you do when an obstacle gets in your way? What will you do when you have distractions? How will you ensure you have the right people around you so they support you? There are so many considerations after put your goals on the page. Episode outline: Achieve...

Send us Fan Mail Episode #102: When we set our goals, let’s use the SMART goal setting methodology so we set realistic goals that we can achieve because we have properly thought through the best way to plan them and achieve them. You know I how I feel about New Years’ resolutions, because at this point, most people have given up on them since they had no solid foundation in being achieved. Let’s plan out goals that make sense for us. Episode outline: Be focused,The SMART Goal Setting t...

Send us Fan Mail Episode #101: This is 2023 and I believe this is the year we become bold in our career execution, our skills development, and our leadership growth. The last few years people have become hesitant due to the challenges we were facing so they did not take risk in their advancement or even in their own lives. We don’t know what will happen this year, but there is great opportunity out there to those willing to develop a plan and mindset to go get it. Be BOLD: Believe, Overcome, ...

Send us Fan Mail We will be using the acronym BOLD to shape our plans for 2023. BOLD: Believe, Overcome, Leadership, and Decisive. Believe in yourself, Overcome obstacles, Grow your Leadership and Be decisive in your plans and opportunities. BOLD: Believe, Overcome, Leadership, and Decisive. Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclainiii 3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant 4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii For more resources, please visit stephenmclain.com....

Send us Fan Mail As a Finance or Accounting professional have you ever been assigned to a project team or worked on a business case? Have you provided financial analysis or accounting advice regarding a high visibility project? These are great opportunities to develop and show off your skills. Additionally, you may get visibility with the executive team and other senior leaders. This week, I am encouraging you to seek out high visibility projects to showcase your skills and abilities, w...

Send us Fan Mail Do you know how to enjoy your time off when you do take your vacation time? This is important so you can get mentally refreshed. You need a break – you need to clear your mind and ready yourself so you that you can tackle next year. Enjoy your time off: Set boundaries,Be guilt free for taking time off,Do not think about what waits for you,Enjoy the moment, andSet yourself free. Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclainiii 3. Facebook:...

Send us Fan Mail Bonus episode # 50: Let’s wrap up 2022, but put off new ideas until next year. Enjoy your accomplishments, get some rest, enjoy your family, friends and colleagues, and put things in perspective. Season 13 will debut on January 10th. We will be talking about our focus, priorities, and goals for 2023. We are a primary source of inspiration and motivation for our team members. How we act and speak and make decisions serves to encourage, or even discourage, our team members as ...

Send us Fan Mail To prepare for 2023, I want you to work on your confidence, to take more risk, and to understand your self-worth even more. What do you bring to the table? What makes you unique in our profession? What value do you bring to the organization? Believe that you are important to your team and to your organization. Believe that you can make a difference. Believe that you can be a leader. Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smcla...

Send us Fan Mail Episode #100: Did you know that as a finance and accounting leader you can have a great, positive impact across your organization? Finance and Accounting professionals do more than just analysis and record financial transactions. We help lead change. We bring reality with the numbers. We advise with critical insights and help to shape and execute strategy. Leadership is the ability to communicate a vision that is easily understood by everyone and then…creating a pathway for y...

Send us Fan Mail Episode # 99: Are you willing to take more risk to ensure you achieve what you want in your career? Or…are you playing it too safe? Taking risk is often a mindset issue where you can limit yourself and fear stepping out from your comfort zone. Get vulnerable, develop a plan and find the courage to go after what you want to move toward your long-term goal. No one is going to hand it to you so you have to decide to take action to develop your career with the skills and ex...

Send us Fan Mail Episode #98: Why did you choose to work in Finance and Accounting? Did you want to work with numbers? Did you think you would work mostly alone? Were you attracted to the leadership opportunities available? Was it something else or a combination of these? Whatever got you interested, I am urging you to ask yourself if you still maintain that passion you once had? Do you embrace and look forward to leading with the numbers every day? The Finance and accounting fields offer a g...

Send us Fan Mail Episode # 97: How productive are you during the day? Is your day filled with distractions? Do you have set templates and use your available tools to make your workday easier especially for routine tasks? Having a productive day begins with our mindset. Use the tools you have available to make your work day more productive. Develop systems for routine work. Protect your time and your team and focus on adding value where you can to make a positive impact across the organization...

Send us Fan Mail Episode #96: Are you facing a leadership challenge right now, or soon? Do you even know? Have you been complacent, or are you watching for the signs that change or a business challenge is imminent? When things are going well, it’s easier to lead, but when the business environment changes, it requires a more leadership emphasis from you. Be watchful for business and senior leadership changes and be ready to adapt and lead your team through the challenge, whatever it is. Epis...

Send us Fan Mail We all need a reminder to believe in ourselves especially when it gets tough, that is, when you face a challenge and then doubt tries to settle in. We are all in a battle to overcome beliefs about our abilities in our mind. Limiting beliefs can take over our mind AND our spirit at any time, which then affects our ability to take risk and seize opportunities. Please connect with me: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclainiii 3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant...

Send us Fan Mail Bonus episode # 47: Who you have in your inner circle matters. Who you have around you, and who you associate with regularly affects your mindset, how you approach life, your happiness, and the overall level of your mental, spiritual, and physical fitness. Who you let in your life matters, and it affects everything in your life. Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclainiii 3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant 4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii...