The following columns are from First Command Financial Services' Sunday Grace, VP, and CFO. The opinion is by the author himself.
As CFOs' growing responsibilities span across strategic partnerships, talent management and technology implementation, there is a challenge in balancing new demand. To be successful, finance leaders must deliberately open time for cross-functional collaboration, commit to continuous learning, and actively develop the presence of executives.
By using practical strategies to handle these expanded responsibilities, CFOs can avoid feeling overwhelmed and instead have a major positive impact on their organization while growing professionally.
In my job as Executive Vice President and CFO, First Command Financial Services provides transparency In financial data. However, a more important aspect of my role is to promote dialogue with the financial advisor team and to align business goals and determine the best path for the military family for initial command command support.
I often use the expertise of my finance team to act as a bridge to gain buy-in from all stakeholders with strategies that have both operational and economic implications. We regularly meet with field leaders who recruit, train and mentor new financial advisors to discuss how we can support their work. With a consulting approach to finance, financial decisions ensure that rather than limit the growth and success of financial advisors, while still benefiting clients.
Attract employees
CFOs' involvement in human capital is relatively new and, if done correctly, can undoubtedly have a great potential to affect the organization. Attracting and hiring employees, attracting and devoting employees to the company's mission is paramount. Our finance team works with HR leaders to coordinate financial forecasts with workforce planning and ensure that they have the right talent in place to achieve strategic goals.
We also invest in employee development programs to increase our skills and competitiveness. Co-designing performance management systems and incentive structures motivates employees and advisors to achieve their financial and non-financial goals.
I play an active role in the company's diversity and inclusion journey to promote employee engagement. I am an executive sponsor Includes our voluntary employee-led resource group. Individuals come together to support a psychologically safe environment that promotes innovation, collaboration and communication while promoting higher employee engagement, morale and business performance. This leads to better problem solving, decision-making, reduced stress, and contributes to the success of a proactive and inclusive workplace culture and organization.
How will an already busy executive adapt these new requests to an already full plate? This is what works for me:
- Book 10-15% of the week to connect with other functional leaders. This means spending an hour each day connecting with talent leads, CTOs, COOs, or other top executives. You will spend time building these relationships and learning about the functional priorities of these leaders and what is important to their success.
- Participate in a training program to illustrate continuous learning. While learning through hands-on experience is valuable, specific training sessions, meetings, and professional development events can accelerate career growth and enhance CFOs' contribution to the organization. We will keep up with new technologies, innovate best practices, adopt new tools and methodologies to showcase executive adaptability and commitment to learning in a dynamic industry environment.
- Seize opportunities to practice soft skills. The CFO's presentation style and the presence of executives allow them to shake up decision-making and influence the minds and minds of people within the organization. If you have the opportunity to demonstrate your competence in these areas, don't neglect to ask for feedback. In some cases, that's the only way you can improve. Self-improvement commitment also sets a positive example.
If you can improve your expertise in a particular functional area, it's time to plan on mastering these skills. If possible, seek guidance and support from a mentor who can help you achieve your goals and thrive in this evolving business environment.
©2025 First Command Financial Services, Inc. is First Command Brokerage Services, Inc. Parent company ofSIPC,finra), First Command Advisory Services, Inc. , First Command Insurance Services, Inc. , and First Command Bank.
