As Fractional CFOs progress in their career, moving into leadership and executive roles or even building their own business, they tend to need help to balance business and their personal lives. This guide has been created to help fractional CFOs struggling to find a balance between work and personal relationships. Read on to crack the code!
In the quest for success in your business and personal relationships, three major learning objectives are crucial: Rethinking Balance, Establishing Deep Connections and Leading with Confidence. With these objectives, you learn how to prioritize what matters most, build stronger connections, and lead with authenticity both at the office and in your personal relationships.
The phrase "work-life balance" or any iteration is quite popular. When you think about executives and their personal relationships, how do they need to rethink balance in that aspect of their relationship?
Many professionals experience stress or burnout, often because of an imbalance in their relationships. These relationships can be categorized into two types: the relationship with oneself and external relationships. The sort of imbalance that comes from our relationship with ourselves indicates our needs are not being met. This will eventually flow and spill over into our external relationships (partner, family, friends, etc.)
One effective strategy to enhance our self-relationship is to identify our needs. In our day-to-day lives, we could be buried with work that we often neglect our core needs. To address this, take a moment to introspect and understand your true needs. This self-discovery process can help you to be able to meet these needs.
Also, it is advisable to assess your needs at different periods of your life as a Fractional CFO and increase business finance partnership. While core needs may remain constant, secondary needs can change. Therefore, dwelling on old secondary needs would lead to an imbalance and unhealthy relationships.
After identifying your needs, the next step is to prioritize them. It's always best to have a comparison with the needs of the people in your life. This way, you can identify where there is an overlap and can make the most of it. By doing this exercise, you foster intentionality in your relationships.
Time, energy, and effort are also required to help build external relationships. Of these three, time is the most valuable and must be prioritized. You should divide your time wisely between urgent and important tasks. Remember to respect your time and the time of others. This is a key aspect of maintaining balanced relationships.
Relationships could be difficult as they go through various phases. Questions then arise: how can one establish connections? What is the first step of establishing deeper connections, personally or professionally?
The answer, while straightforward, is frequently overlooked. At their core, humans feel the need to be seen, heard, and valued. Therefore, the first step in building a connection is authentic communication. This can be achieved by encouraging the other person to share stories or by asking insightful questions and then listening. Listen with the intent to understand, not merely to respond. From here, you can create trustable bonds.
There are several components; however, trust is the bedrock of any relationship. This is applicable to both personal and professional relationships. However, trust is much more needed in personal relationships, while competence takes precedence in a professional environment. Other components include safety, willingness, and great honest communication.
Trust in building relationships is a by-product of safety and a mutual willingness to meet each other's needs. Without a sense of safety, the relationship is regarded as worthless and would be built on deceit. While for willingness, it's essential for the parties involved to meet halfway, irrespective of their needs. This way, trust will naturally follow.
Honest communication is another effective component. Being able to communicate your emotions signifies a high level of emotional intelligence (EQ) effectively and authentically. Investing in your EQ will significantly enhance your ability to establish connections.
Confidence is important for effective leadership. However, it can quickly turn into ego if not properly managed. So, how can a Fractional CFO become successful in leveling up their leadership skills without resulting in an egomaniac? The key lies in leading from the heart and increasing business finance partnership.
As a leader, you should know that personal well-being drives effectiveness. Therefore, you should cultivate emotional intelligence, resilience, and mindfulness. This way, you can inspire your team or clients to overcome challenges. This approach to leadership not only boosts performance but contributes to a more productive work environment.
Heart-centered leadership serves as an excellent approach for enhancing confidence, resolving conflicts, and promoting empathy. This strategy involves shifting your focus from your head—where ego and imposter syndrome often reside—to your heart.
By consciously directing your attention to your heart and breathing into it, you can achieve a sense of calm and authenticity. This mental shift can help you project genuine confidence without resorting to pretense.
At this moment, you will find your authentic side that is not conforming to the adaptive side. It's about embracing and expressing your true self. Studies show that when a leader is able to lead with vulnerability, authenticity, courage, openness, and willingness, there will be more trust.
Balancing leadership and relationships require a thoughtful approach. You can address the imbalances in our personal and professional relationships by rethinking balance. Establishing deeper connections involves authentic communication, active listening, and building trust and competence. Lastly, leading with confidence means leading from the heart, dropping the ego, and embracing vulnerability and authenticity.
By cultivating these factors, you will become a better fractional CFO and increase business finance partnership, as your personal life determines your efficiency at work and how you lead people.
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