Building Personal Strength

MARCH 4, 2010

His most recent act of loyalty was to restructure our credit to our advantage, to help us thrive during the recession. Forty years later, I googled him and discovered that he’s now the CFO for a big company and a benefactor in his community. A practical and personable businessman, he’s been loyal to us all that time.

Loyalty 107

Loyalty Open-book CFO Restructuring 107

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

Here's an example*: Peter was the divisional CFO for the consumer unit of a global products company. Peter's appointment as president triggered two common challenges with peer promotions: rapid re-contracting followed by rapid restructuring. Peers can joke around, gossip, gripe, and poke fun at each other. Names have been changed.

Management 12

Management Restructuring CFO Operations 12

Harvard Business Review

MAY 28, 2018

Then a new CFO joined the company: Masashi Oka, a financial industry veteran who had played a key role in transforming Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group-owned Union Bank in the US. Not until the restructuring was completed would Nikon pursue a growth agenda. The response was disappointing. .”

Company 8

Company ROIC CFO Restructuring 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 8, 2016

For advice on how to handle it better, I turned to executives who have conversations on some of the trickiest topics in an organization: trust on teams, organizational restructuring, and addressing underperformance. You might see or sense a couple of people who are threatened by the restructure or are a little unhappy about one element.

Restructuring 8

Restructuring CFO Bond Brand 8

LDRLB

APRIL 21, 2014

Actually, reading the book reminded me of this old anecdote that I heard one time, a conversation between a sort of unnamed CEO and an unnamed CFO and essentially, the CFO was asking, “What happens if we invest all this money to develop our people and they leave?” What can we do to take advantage of this idea?

Human Capital 60

Human Capital Open-book CFO Innovation 60

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 24, 2015

The meetings themselves, aside from the CFO’s report on financials, focused on discussions of the main issues. That trust made a big difference in 2012, when an activist investor challenged us to restructure the company. I got rid of that barrier.

CEO 8

CEO 360-Degree Feedback Management Charisma 8

Harvard Business Review

JULY 21, 2016

Frequent restructurings of the analytics function. As one financial services CFO told us, “Our mental models were so rigid that even how we thought about data itself needed to be challenged. Chief Analytics Officers (CAOs) were frequently replaced. Too many calls for outside support from consultants.

CEO 8

CEO Competitive Advantage ROI CFO 8