In this article From CFO to CEO: the essential leadership skills, Philip Beddows, executive business coach and mentor and founding partner of The Silk Road Partnership, says that developing your people skills, alongside taking on board positions, is one of the most helpful things CFOs can do to position themselves to move into a CEO role.

Sarah Walker-Smith, ACA and CEO of leading UK law firm Shakespeare Martineau, agrees that making your people a priority is crucial for aspiring CEOs, saying, “If your aspiration is to move into general management, understand the importance of the people and how that leads to the numbers. Not the other way around.”

Luckily, crucial people skills such as communicating effectively and leading with empathy can be learned and developed to help you get ahead. Plus, articles such as How to move from a CFO to a CEO mindset can really help to shift your thinking. 

ICAEW offers a range of free resources for leaders and aspiring leader, many of which count towards your CPD hours.

Start by heading to our leadership topic area where you’ll find the latest articles, reports, webinars and ebooks on pertinent topics.

Being a great leader requires a broad skillset, so you may also wish to explore our career development topic area, as well as our communication and presentation skills and negotiation skills content.

In case you missed it, here is some recent free ICAEW content on leadership which can be counted towards your verifiable CPD hours:

• Pick up some leadership tips from ICAEW’s CEO Alan Vallance in this podcast.
• Is remote working holding you back from that promotion and developing the suite of soft skills you need to get ahead? This article explores.
• Can you keep your calm in tumultuous times and convey a sense of confidence to others? These are just two of the traits a modern CFO should have according to industry professionals.
• Leaders must consider whether they are creating a psychologically safe and inclusive workplace. This on-demand webinar contains practical advice on how to do this.
• What does the CFO’s changing role mean for you? This research project highlights opportunities for CFOs in their leadership on sustainability and includes a series of interviews from senior finance professionals.