1. Interpersonal skills
The best people in finance possess strong interpersonal skills. They have the ability to transcend their normal role and interact cross-functionally with people in other departments. They can put themselves in other people’s shoes, see their points of view, and reframe a discussion accordingly.
2. Insight and analysis
Razor-sharp analytical skills are, of course, one of the top seven qualities of the best people in finance. They have the unerring ability to spot patterns in seemingly random data and to draw the appropriate conclusions. They then use their strong interpersonal skills to communicate their insights in accessible and meaningful ways.
3. Leadership
A true leader not only leads from the front; they’re also right there in the trenches with their troops. They understand the organization’s goals and can nurture team talent to advance company objectives. The best people in finance move seamlessly between leadership roles – from setting a positive example, to directing activities, and ultimately being available as a resource for their reports.
4. Improvement
Being successful requires that you see the big picture. And that, in turn, means you have to be able to identify the processes in need of improvement. To the best people in finance, efficiency is the overriding goal. They are relentless in their pursuit of ways to make the business operate more efficiently and effectively.
5. Prioritization
The world of finance is filled with rigid deadlines. Not only do the best people in finance meet those deadlines, as a matter of routine; they are able to set priorities and create action plans that make sense for all parties involved. They are true multitaskers.
7. Business partner
In today’s marketplace, finance people are expected to stretch their muscles and contribute to their companies’ strategic thinking. Gone are the days when the CFO’s role was simply to report company results. Today, the top CFOs take the vision of the COO, develop a plan to flesh it out, and unleash its full potential. At least informally, they don an operational hat and create scalable structures to realize, and not just report, value.
The best people in finance possess strong interpersonal skills. They have the ability to transcend their normal role and interact cross-functionally with people in other departments. They can put themselves in other people’s shoes, see their points of view, and reframe a discussion accordingly.
2. Insight and analysis
Razor-sharp analytical skills are, of course, one of the top seven qualities of the best people in finance. They have the unerring ability to spot patterns in seemingly random data and to draw the appropriate conclusions. They then use their strong interpersonal skills to communicate their insights in accessible and meaningful ways.
3. Leadership
A true leader not only leads from the front; they’re also right there in the trenches with their troops. They understand the organization’s goals and can nurture team talent to advance company objectives. The best people in finance move seamlessly between leadership roles – from setting a positive example, to directing activities, and ultimately being available as a resource for their reports.
4. Improvement
Being successful requires that you see the big picture. And that, in turn, means you have to be able to identify the processes in need of improvement. To the best people in finance, efficiency is the overriding goal. They are relentless in their pursuit of ways to make the business operate more efficiently and effectively.
5. Prioritization
The world of finance is filled with rigid deadlines. Not only do the best people in finance meet those deadlines, as a matter of routine; they are able to set priorities and create action plans that make sense for all parties involved. They are true multitaskers.
7. Business partner
In today’s marketplace, finance people are expected to stretch their muscles and contribute to their companies’ strategic thinking. Gone are the days when the CFO’s role was simply to report company results. Today, the top CFOs take the vision of the COO, develop a plan to flesh it out, and unleash its full potential. At least informally, they don an operational hat and create scalable structures to realize, and not just report, value.
