#217 The Blueprint for a High-Performing Finance Team with Damian Smith

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4bLrSTnZuprXVZcK4eSF4s

Damian Smith, a GrowCFO Mentor, joins the Grow CFO Show to discuss the blueprint for building a high-performing finance team. In today's dynamic business landscape, the need for finance teams to operate at peak efficiency has never been more crucial. Effective finance teams not only drive financial success but also play a pivotal role in shaping the overall success of an organization.Damian, a seasoned finance professional turned leadership coach, shares his unique perspective on transforming dysfunctional finance teams into thriving, purpose-driven units. Drawing from his own experiences as a "recovering toxic CFO," Damian delves into the core principles of the Thrive methodology, a comprehensive approach to cultivating high-performing teams. He emphasizes the importance of trust as the foundation for building a cohesive and collaborative team, as well as the need to align team purpose, values, and goals to drive commitment and accountability.Throughout the discussion, Damian shares practical strategies for finance leaders to address the challenges of dysfunctional teams. He highlights the significance of fostering a culture of healthy conflict and open communication, where team members feel empowered to voice their perspectives and work towards the best possible outcomes. Additionally, Damian underscores the importance of embedding values and accountability into the recruitment and onboarding process to ensure a strong cultural fit and a shared commitment to the team's objectives.

Key topics covered:

Damian's journey from a toxic CFO to a leadership coach and the lessons he learned along the way

The importance of trust as the foundation for building a high-performing team

Aligning team purpose, values, and goals to drive commitment and accountability

Fostering a culture of healthy conflict and open communication

Embedding values and accountability into the recruitment and onboarding process

Practical strategies for finance leaders to transform dysfunctional teams

https://youtu.be/fmC7hZbVhhs

Links

Damian Smith on LinkedIn

Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn

GrowCFO Mentoring

Timestamps

0:00:50 - Introductions and initial chit-chat

0:09:03 - Damian's background and journey from toxic CFO to leadership coach

0:20:54 - The importance of trust in building high-performing teams

0:27:08 - Aligning team purpose, values, and goals

0:38:39 - The Thrive methodology and its key components

0:48:31 - Advice for finance leaders with dysfunctional teams

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