Do you stand for something or do you stand for nothing? Standing for something embodies the philosophy of executive branding and is powerful positioning. Rather than blending in with every other chief financial officer, a strong brand allows you to step away from the masses… firmly rooted in your unique passion, values, interests, and skills.
Companies want, need and hire finance chiefs who can solve their problems, get them unstuck, or help them reach their goals. They want a subject matter expert who brings a clear record of eliminating pain and getting results. And equally important, companies want and need to hire for cultural fit. A great leader who is not a good fit with the established corporate culture won’t be able to accomplish very much, last very long, or be very happy while he’s there.
How can you use the power of executive branding to move up to a CFO position, move to a CFO position at a larger company or with greater responsibility, or into the CEO role?
You can read my three suggestions for proactively managing your career in the September issue of AFP’s Futures in Finance newsletter.