Future Leader Must-Haves

Future Leader Must-Haves: Integrity and Communication Skills

Our company recently asked more than 1,400 chief financial officers (CFOs) what — besides technical and functional expertise ­— they look for most when grooming future leaders. By a wide margin, the top survey responses were integrity (33 percent) and interpersonal/communication skills (28 percent). Initiative came in third at 15 percent.

The plethora of news reports over the last few years spotlighting ethics violations within Wall Street firms and other organizations underscores the importance of leaders possessing a strong moral compass. Just one lapse in judgment can significantly damage a company’s reputation and bottom line. Understanding this well, executives are searching for up-and-coming accounting and finance professionals who are highly principled and forthright — and whom they can groom for leadership positions.

If you’re a new or mid-level manager looking to advance in your career and move up the corporate ladder, you’ll need to make integrity a core value, while also establishing honest and open two-way communication with employees. Integrity is not something than can be “learned,” only practiced, but there are a number of ways to enhance your communication skills with your staff that can prepare you for more senior leadership roles.

Consider these tips:

Be as transparent as possible. Treat your team as valued stakeholders by sharing information freely — and frequently. Keep them apprised of what you’re doing to keep your company or department strong, stable and on track. Share your thought processes so employees understand the logic behind key decisions and how staff members will be impacted.

Listen up. Effective communication involves more than just speaking and writing skills. If you’re only delivering information but not inviting it, you’re not making a real connection with your staff. First, make sure team members know it’s safe to voice their opinions, and then make it a habit of practicing active listening — truly paying attention to what someone is saying. Far too often, professionals at all levels are guilty of interrupting others while impatiently waiting for their turn to speak. Establish trust and goodwill by giving each employee you’re talking with your undivided attention.

Don’t leave people guessing. Providing crystal-clear communication on the front end goes a long way toward preventing costly misunderstandings later on. With this in mind, be as specific as possible, particularly with new members of your team who are trying to get a handle on how you operate. Help your employees help you by making your communication preferences known.

Submitted by Robert Half Finance & Accounting. Robert Half Finance & Accounting, a division of Robert Half International, is the world's first and largest specialized financial recruitment service. Robert Half Finance & Accounting is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., and has more than 350 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.roberthalffinance.com.