I N G Q U E S T ION

R N #4
B U

FROM FINANCE
ANALYST TO EXECUTIVE

WHICH SOFT SKILLS SHOULD I DEVELOP?

1 COMMUNICATION

The higher you get in the hierarchy:

✅️The less time you will spend crunching

numbers,

✅️The more time you will spend

communicating those numbers to drive
value.

So, start working on your communication

skills as early as you can.
 "Having good technical skills can only
take you so far in the corporate ladder.
If you do not work on your soft skills, you
will remain stagnant in your career after
you reach middle management."

Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA

2 INFLUENCING

Influence in Finance is the ability to get

buy-in and acceptance for your key
messages or recommendations.

Influencing is the skill that allows you to

lead people and projects with/without a
big title.

It also involves learning to adjust your

style to the preferences of the receiver.
 "We define business partnering as:
Insights X Influence = Impact
and to be influential you must develop
your soft skills!"

Anders Liu-Lindberg
 3 SELF-LEADERSHIP

✅️Time and energy management:

To effectively meet deadlines and deliver

helpful insights during budget/forecast
seasons.

✅️Personal resilience:

As a Finance Executive, you will need

mental toughness to initiate change and
effectively lead cross-functional projects.
4 TEAM LEADERSHIP

The higher you get in the hierarchy, the

more you will need to rely on other people
to do the work.

That's why learning how to lead and

motivate others, whether or not they
report to you, is crucial.
5 CHANGE LEADERSHIP

✅️Champion efficiency and effectiveness

in the finance function

✅️Be a role model for identifying and

driving process improvements with
cross-functional teams

✅️Learn best practices on how to initiate,

plan, and successfully implement
change at different levels.
6 RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING

Business Partnering is building

relationships with your stakeholders to:

✅️Better understand their challenges

✅️Provide better insights to support

business decisions.

This means spending more time with

people outside Accounting & Finance.
"Success is the modern finance function
comes down to your ability to be a
business partner."

Anders Liu-Lindberg
7 ADAPTABILITY

❌Don't be of those who always stick to "the

way we have always done it."

✅️Being adaptable means you can quickly

change the way you work in response to
new situations.

For example, having to budget for a new

product line launch will force you to come
up with a new budgeting method because
there is no typical data/history available.
8 BUSINESS ACUMEN

Business Acumen is understanding how a

company makes money and how internal
and external forces affect it.

For Finance & Accounting professionals

you could point to these strengths:

✅ Foresight
✅ Financial literacy
✅ Resource allocation
✅ Systems & processes
✅ Decision-making & Duty of care
9 STRATEGIC THINKING

Strategic thinking is anticipating future

situations, while considering different
courses of actions and the impact each
may have on the business.

As a Finance Executive, you will need to

provide financial insights on how to get
the company from point A to point B.

Train your mind to see the big picture,

before diving into the details.
10 PERSONAL BRANDING

Delivering quality work is great, but not

enough.

You have to know how to showcase it and

articulate your value whenever you get a
chance.

Personal branding is about managing the

perceptions others have about you and the
value you bring to the table.

Don't neglect it!

"Sometimes you don't need
another certification or
degree. You just need to
better understand and
articulate your value."
Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA
 > Stay focused on what matters most.

> Pace yourself by setting reasonable

expectations.

> Stay open to other opportunities.

> There are multiple paths to success.

Certified Internal
Enjoy your Auditor
journey!

*THANKS FOR READING*

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