My intention was clear: I wanted to be in a room with international business leaders operating at a different scale. The choice to invest in travelling to the US for these workshops was driven by a desire to gain fresh perspectives and broaden my horizon beyond the confines of familiar circles.
Possibly a Playmaker CFO.
My interactions with an incredible CEO, struggling to deal with the pipeline challenges of selling high end large scale theme parks, highlighted the crucial role CFOs play in bringing the discpline of execution to a CEO's need for the freedom of creation. The CEO's struggle to transition from large-scale projects to smaller, scalable opportunities was a vivid example of how the CFO's role is pivotal in translating strategic vision into actionable, financial realities.
I was having this conversation with one of my CFOs earlier this week, and she was reflecting on her own challenges not being 'always on'. I asked her a classic coaching question: "If the roles were reversed, and if I were experiecing those same challenges, what advice would you give me?" After a sly look, she said 'I'd ask you 'what's the worst that can happen'?'.
And she's spot on. While I was away, did the business burn down? No. Were our clients taken care of? Yes. Taking time out created invalable space for my team to discover new ways to solve problems and to work together without me and my (well intentioned!) disruptions.
Through the conversation in the room, it was clear the other CEOs in the room in LA - having only taken one or two days of their week off - also struggled with the idea of letting go. It was great to see that not only was I not alone, but upon my return, how much I could see the team had grown.
The experience challenged me to expand my vision. Hearing about others' grand aspirations encouraged me to rethink and elevate my own goals.
My takeaway: sometimes your vision needs to be bigger, and the obstacles are simply the pathways to growth.
She helped me see patterns that I couldn't. She provided language for ideas that I struggled to articulate. And I did the same for her. The other thing - I now have nowhere to hide. I'm accountable to her now, which means my likelihood of implementation has skyrocketed.
Sometimes the value of an experience is multi-faceted. And sometimes the ROI is measured in more ways than a financial gain. The value of being in a community is not just in attending a session but about reflecting on, integrating and implementing the insights gained.
I'm back to LA in November...I can't wait to share further insights then.
Are you part of a community where you can hear new perspectives and grow your vision?
Do you have someone that makes your ideas better and holds you to account?
How can you take more time away from your business and allow your team the space to grow?
Love to hear your thoughts...
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