Episodes

Episode # 91: Financial Planning and Analysis provides one of the most critical and powerful functions in the business. Are you resourcing and employing your FP&A Team properly? You need to be continually planning the team’s functions and capabilities as technology changes and the business grows. The FP&A function cannot remain static. It must be growing and changing as conditions change. Your pathway to understanding the key metrics of the business AND if you are achieving your strategy, lies i...

How do you want your team to interact with each other? Do you want to be all business all the time, more relaxed, or something else? As the leader, you set the tone for the team’s culture. The team’s culture determines how well everyone respects each other and works together. Don’t overlook the relationship of team culture and its overall performance. Episode outline: What is Team culture? How team culture shapes output and productivity, Your role as leader when it comes to culture, Assessi...

Financial Analysts help grow the business by digging in to the how and the why to financial transactions to find patterns and insights. These patterns can help find a way to leverage your offers to increase sales. Additionally, costs can be saved by finding efficiencies within the expenses. Episode outline: Figure out the why and how regarding data around financial transactions, Help to validate the strategy through the analysis of key metrics, and Partner with senior leaders so they better ...

Bonus episode # 40: Leaders must be self-aware of their thoughts, actions, words and behaviors so they are constantly working to build trust and develop their teams. Self-aware leaders know what is appropriate and what isn’t appropriate. Emotionally intelligent leaders can read the room properly that leads to a positive outcome. Episode outline: 1) The great leaders are emotionally intelligent, 2) Think before speaking or taking action, and 3) Read the room so you understand the tone and mood o...

A habit is a routine behavior that determines our productivity level and our work ethic. Our habits are closely aligned with our mindset and how we approach challenges. Do we embrace wanting to achieve excellence or do you become complacent? Our success is a combination of mindset and habits, plus leadership. I hope that you practice great leadership as the most important habit of all. Episode outline: Your habits determine your daily success, What successful people do to build and reinforce g...

Bonus episode # 38: Please enjoy this encore episode....You have assumed a new role at a new company. What are your first steps? What do you do first so you set yourself up for success? Those first few weeks can determine how well you know your role, and more importantly, who do you need to meet, what systems do you need to learn, and what are the details about the company’s culture. Your first actions in a new role will be critical to your success, so plan carefully and embrace learning and mee...

Episode # 90: If you own a start-up or will be founding one soon, consider adding a finance leader to your team as soon as possible. You will have a teammate who can help you understand cash-flow and profitability from Day 1. They can help you instill financial discipline immediately and provide legitimacy for potential investors. A finance or accounting professional gives your team someone who can provide key advice on tax implications, cash burn rates, corporate structure, and adding value as ...

Episode # 89: As a leader, you will make many decisions. You will have choices to make. But how do you guard yourself against bias? How do you ensure fairness in opportunity and in how your team is treated? We must be aware of any bias we have both, conscious and subconscious, to ensure all have the opportunity if they do the hard work to improve themselves and to be ready for the next level. Further, we need to check our bias in all problem-solving activities and projects. Episode outline: Bui...

Episode # 88: Are you on track for a promotion? 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. If you can prioritize your actions correctly, clearly communicate a vision, and follow through with incredible results, you will be in line for promotion to...

Episode # 87: Your long-term success and how you feel about yourself are directly affected by your self-worth and your confidence level. What you believe in yourself affects your ability to take risk and feel confident about what roles and challenges may be next for you. Your mindset is powerful, and this requires a daily exercise of self-care to strengthen yourself against the adversity you will face and to give you confidence to go after your long-term goal. Episode outline: 1) Build a health...

Episode # 86: 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, which will al...

Episode # 85: 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 they tackle tough assignments and tasks. How we approach the work and adversity does have ripple effects on team productivity and morale. How can we do better, as leaders, to encourage our team members to be inspired, which then can translate into higher productivity, without being abusive? Episode outline:...

Episode # 84: Should you earn a graduate degree? As a Finance and Accounting professional, a graduate degree will strengthen and round out your professional foundation and help to give you credibility as an expert in the field, which will serve to gain you respect. Further, earning a graduate degree can open additional opportunities for you to advance your career and could increase your earnings potential. Let’s address if a graduate degree is the right career move for you. Episode outline: 1)...

Episode # 83: Did you know that business social skills are equally important as your technical and other soft skills? How you act socially can determine your next opportunity. How you conduct yourself in a public situation such as a meeting or at an after-work event or even on a project team can bring you closer or take you away from advancing in your career. How do you navigate these often-complicated situations? Be aware that your actions, facial expressions and even the very words you choose ...

Episode # 82: Learning to be an effective leader will set you apart positively in the eyes of the senior leaders and executives you work with and will help you advance in your career. We are already expected to be technical experts in our field, so learn leadership to give you the edge you need to advance. Episode outline: Leadership starts with our mindset, Our personal character is key, We must lead and influence necessary change, and A few areas we can positively change. Please connect w...

Episode # 81: When Finance and Accounting professionals combine their technical knowledge and skills with leadership, we will see an amazing transformation in every organization. Successful Finance and Accounting Leaders skew to the strategic and learn how to positively influence and advise senior leaders, so they help deliver the strategy. An effective leader works to empower their team, to develop influence to bring positive change, and will work to find a solution when financial expectations ...

Please enjoy this encore episode from Season 7 - Episode 62 - What Leaders Do. The most important responsibility leaders have is to grow other leaders. The first task a great leader will do is to build trust and that begins with our own actions, our attitude, and our behavior. We often get overwhelmed with the tasks, but I want you to shift from a task-focus to a people-focus leadership style. Lead and set a great example, build trust, and empower your team to create an incredible envi...

Please enjoy this encore episode from Season 8 - Episode 64 - The CFO Mindset. The Role of Chief Financial Officer requires a different mindset, a different world view, and a perspective that helps you see the organization differently. The CFO must be forward thinking and must never quit. The following outline is used during the episode: The qualities of the successful c suite executive,You must pivot your skillset, mindset, and perspective,Embrace change and embrace adversity,You mus...

Please enjoy this encore episode from Season 7 - Episode 57 - Own Your Career. What happens during your career journey mostly rests upon decisions you make along with your risk comfort level. Are you planning out your career moves or are you waiting on someone else to give you an opportunity? No one is going to seek you out to hand you what you need to achieve your goals and advance your career. Episode outline: You are the only person who will care about your career, Seek out opportunities ...

Bonus episode # 34: We are in the new year, and I believe that 2022 will be your best year to date. This will be a time to develop a plan of action for what’s important to you that includes your career AND your personal life. It can be the blueprint for setting your personal priorities and ensuring you don’t forget the important events in your life AND that you live, grow, and thrive with no regrets. Episode outline: Setting the right priorities for your life, Adopt winning habits including a ...

Episode # 80: You need to be advocating for yourself when it comes to career opportunities, for raises, for promotions, to be on high visibility projects, for time off, for the right boundaries, and the list goes on. I am particularly speaking to the group of Finance and Accounting professionals who are truly dedicated and don’t ask for much in return. It’s time that you get rewarded for your hard work and you need to take action for these to happen. Start advocating for yourself and for your ad...

Episode # 79: Can your team members thrive in their current work environment? As leaders, we have standards to uphold, tasks to get done, and a strategy to execute, but do our team members believe they are treated well, are their voices heard, and do they have opportunities for growth and development? How much time do you invest in your team members? When you lead a team, you have more responsibility than only completing tasks on a list, you have people who are looking to you to help them accom...

Episode # 78: The greatest responsibility we have is to grow other leaders so I want to encourage you to share your leadership tips by publishing them to reach a greater audience. Never stop trying to positively influence the next generation of leaders. Episode outline: Growing others is our greatest responsibility, Share so you can positively influence, Publishing helps you grow as a leader, and Methods of sharing and publishing. Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. ...

Episode 77: What does it take to advance your career? There are many decisions and pathways you can take. There are lots of choices, but how do you prepare yourself for the best chance of advancing to senior leader roles? In this episode, I will highlight the five pillars of career advancement which can help you move in the right direction, so you have the best chance for achieving your dream role. And what do you when you approach an obstacle in your career advancement? Do you accept it or do y...