Send us a text Ever made a professional mistake that kept you up at night? Trust me, we've all been there. Each day brings new challenges and mindset battles, and sometimes, we falter. But, what defines us isn't the falter, but how we recover from it. Join me as I take you through the reality of professional mistakes in this bonus episode. Get ready to transform a bad situation into a positive one. I'll be sharing some effective steps to address and overcome professional mistakes, emphasizing on...
Jul 11, 2023•5 min
Send us a text Ever feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of numbers and metrics in finance? Imagine how your audience feels! Join me as I briefly explain the art of providing high-value, simple yet powerful financial analysis. Guaranteeing clarity, I will guide you to focus on the fundamentals, stripping back unnecessary complexity and enhancing the impact of your communication. We all know how counterproductive overloading information can be. It's high time we learned to deliver top-notch analy...
Jul 04, 2023•4 min
Send us a text Are you ready to skyrocket your finance and accounting career? We've got the tips and insights you need to gain a competitive edge in the workplace. This bonus episode is packed with valuable advice on adopting a growth mindset, dressing to impress, and participating in high visibility projects. You'll also learn the importance of having a written plan, taking risks, developing soft skills, earning professional credentials, and being part of the community at work. Please connect w...
Jun 20, 2023•6 min
Send us a text Ready to level up your goal-setting game and achieve more than ever before? Discover the power of the SMART Goal-Setting Technique in our latest episode, where we break down how to set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals that will lead to greater success. But why stop there? In the second half of this episode, we dive into strategies for personal and professional improvement, guiding you through mindset shifts, leadership development, and goal clarific...
Jun 13, 2023•11 min
Send us a text As we approach the halfway mark of the year, it's time to take stock of our progress and challenges in becoming better finance leaders. Join me in this bonus episode of the Finance Leader Podcast, where we'll discuss goal achievement, prioritization, and making the best decisions to maximize our time, energy, and resources. Send me an email about your progress and challenges, and let's work together to make 2023 a year of incredible growth and accomplishment for all of us in the f...
Jun 07, 2023•4 min
Send us a text Do you ever find yourself obsessing over your work, doubting your competency, or struggling to stay productive? What if you could harness your obsessive-compulsive tendencies to supercharge your career in finance and accounting? In this eye-opening episode, we explore the traits of the obsessive-compulsive accounting and finance professional and discuss how sometimes, our OCD can be our superpower! Listen in as we share our experiences with obsessing over perfection, worrying abou...
Jun 01, 2023•16 min•Season 14Ep. 4
Send us a text Team engagement is such an important daily exercise that it can affect how well your team members succeed or not. Team members who are positively engaged are more productive, more efficient, and more motivated to do a great job. And team member engagement begins with us as leaders. We must be leaders of great character and integrity. Positive team member engagement leads to growth and high-quality output. Invest in yourself to be a better leader so you can further invest in your t...
May 17, 2023•13 min•Season 14Ep. 3
Send us a text What drives you to achieve excellence? To achieve your BEST every day? Learning is a big part of our journey in achieving excellence, so what helps you to stay motivated to learn and grow? I believe we must stay curious and be curious to continue to develop and improve each day. Our learning approach helps to expand our capacity AND our potential. Stay and be curious in our profession so you learn new skills and new ways to lead your team and organization to more positive outcomes...
May 03, 2023•14 min•Season 14Ep. 2
Send us a text The predictions are out for 2023 for Finance and Accounting, and it looks interesting. Our fields continue to be in high demand. What are the types of roles that are in demand right now, and what type of work are people looking for? And what are the technology and professional trends for the upcoming year? We continue to face change and turbulence in the economy so it’s imperative that we stay in the know about what is happening. This is our profession. And I want you to embrace m...
Apr 20, 2023•14 min•Season 14Ep. 1
Send us a text Strategy is a decision around what market you will pursue and with what product and service mix and more importantly - how you will employ your resources to serve that market properly, so your company becomes profitable. Companies don’t have unlimited resources, so they must make very deliberate, data-driven, and leader-guided decisions to make those difficult choices. This is where you, a finance leader, comes in. Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter...
Apr 11, 2023•13 min
Send us a text What can you do better to make a positive difference? Team engagement is a necessity. If your team is quiet, it doesn’t mean things are necessary going well. You have to engage with them and continually be assessing where you can affect positive change and ensure the work continues to a high level. So, how should you engage with your team to make them better, to create a better work environment, and to foster a greater work experience? Tools for better team engagement: 1) Resourci...
Apr 04, 2023•21 min
Send us a text Be careful not to take back the "task monkey" who is wanting and waiting to jump on someone else. You may even have a team member who does this often to you so be watching and careful so you stop taking on their tasks. Be a leader and a coach and watch your own discretionary time. Source: Harvard Business Review (1999), " Management Time: Who's Got The Monkey " Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclainiii 3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant 4. Li...
Mar 21, 2023•4 min
Send us a text What does it mean to be a leader? How do you know if you are leading correctly? Leadership is hard sometimes. It takes practice and sometimes failure to get it right. With leadership, always begin with yourself. Are you setting the right example for others to follow? Will others willingly follow you, especially in a crisis or a tough situation? When something goes wrong, what are your first actions? Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclainiii 3. ...
Mar 14, 2023•19 min
Send us a text This week, I am sharing Episode 88, Earning a Promotion to Manager. What does it take to be promoted from individual contributor to manager? You must show potential for greater responsibility. You need a combination of mature soft skills, good character and high emotional intelligence, deliver results every time, and be able to treat people fairly without bias. These qualities really apply to every promotion no matter the level of responsibility. Please connect with me on: 1. Inst...
Mar 07, 2023•18 min
Send us a text Our professional credentials show our commitment level in becoming an expert in the finance and accounting fields. These are badges of knowledge and expertise that show our level of technical knowledge, strategy, and in leadership. Earning professional credentials demonstrates our dedication to learning and growing so that we can provide the best level of service and advice in often tough situations. The Finance and accounting fields are constantly evolving as business and the eco...
Feb 21, 2023•12 min•Season 13Ep. 4
Send us a text I am sharing what it means to set a plan and then to stay organized and focused so you can go achieve it. You must be persistent, and never quit. You can assess and reorganize, but never quit. What will you do when an obstacle gets in your way? What will you do when you have distractions? How will you ensure you have the right people around you so they support you? There are so many considerations after put your goals on the page. Episode outline: Achievement begins with our minds...
Feb 07, 2023•15 min•Season 13Ep. 3
Send us a text When we set our goals, let’s use the SMART goal setting methodology so we set realistic goals that we can achieve because we have properly thought through the best way to plan them and achieve them. You know I how I feel about New Years’ resolutions, because at this point, most people have given up on them since they had no solid foundation in being achieved. Let’s plan out goals that make sense for us. Episode outline: Be focused, The SMART Goal Setting technique, and Ensure you ...
Jan 24, 2023•10 min•Season 13Ep. 2
Send us a text This is 2023 and I believe this is the year we become bold in our career execution, our skills development, and our leadership growth. The last few years people have become hesitant due to the challenges we were facing so they did not take risk in their advancement or even in their own lives. We don’t know what will happen this year, but there is great opportunity out there to those willing to develop a plan and mindset to go get it. Be BOLD: Believe, Overcome, Leadership, and Dec...
Jan 10, 2023•15 min•Season 13Ep. 1
Send us a text We will be using the acronym BOLD to shape our plans for 2023. BOLD: Believe, Overcome, Leadership, and Decisive. Believe in yourself, Overcome obstacles, Grow your Leadership and Be decisive in your plans and opportunities. BOLD: Believe, Overcome, Leadership, and Decisive. Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclainiii 3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant 4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii For more resources, please visit stephenmclain.com . On the we...
Jan 03, 2023•3 min
Send us a text As a Finance or Accounting professional have you ever been assigned to a project team or worked on a business case? Have you provided financial analysis or accounting advice regarding a high visibility project? These are great opportunities to develop and show off your skills. Additionally, you may get visibility with the executive team and other senior leaders. This week, I am encouraging you to seek out high visibility projects to showcase your skills and abilities, which will a...
Dec 28, 2022•17 min
Send us a text Do you know how to enjoy your time off when you do take your vacation time? This is important so you can get mentally refreshed. You need a break – you need to clear your mind and ready yourself so you that you can tackle next year. Enjoy your time off: Set boundaries, Be guilt free for taking time off, Do not think about what waits for you, Enjoy the moment, and Set yourself free. Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclainiii 3. Facebook: stephenm...
Dec 20, 2022•2 min
Send us a text Let’s wrap up 2022, but put off new ideas until next year. Enjoy your accomplishments, get some rest, enjoy your family, friends and colleagues, and put things in perspective. Season 13 will debut on January 10th. We will be talking about our focus, priorities, and goals for 2023. We are a primary source of inspiration and motivation for our team members. How we act and speak and make decisions serves to encourage, or even discourage, our team members as they tackle tough assignme...
Dec 13, 2022•16 min
Send us a text To prepare for 2023, I want you to work on your confidence, to take more risk, and to understand your self-worth even more. What do you bring to the table? What makes you unique in our profession? What value do you bring to the organization? Believe that you are important to your team and to your organization. Believe that you can make a difference. Believe that you can be a leader. Please connect with me on: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclainiii 3. Facebook: stephen...
Dec 06, 2022•17 min
Send us a text Did you know that as a finance and accounting leader you can have a great, positive impact across your organization? Finance and Accounting professionals do more than just analysis and record financial transactions. We help lead change. We bring reality with the numbers. We advise with critical insights and help to shape and execute strategy. Leadership is the ability to communicate a vision that is easily understood by everyone and then…creating a pathway for your team and others...
Dec 02, 2022•14 min•Season 12Ep. 5
Send us a text Are you willing to take more risk to ensure you achieve what you want in your career? Or…are you playing it too safe? Taking risk is often a mindset issue where you can limit yourself and fear stepping out from your comfort zone. Get vulnerable, develop a plan and find the courage to go after what you want to move toward your long-term goal. No one is going to hand it to you so you have to decide to take action to develop your career with the skills and experience you need to move...
Nov 23, 2022•12 min•Season 12Ep. 4
Send us a text Why did you choose to work in Finance and Accounting? Did you want to work with numbers? Did you think you would work mostly alone? Were you attracted to the leadership opportunities available? Was it something else or a combination of these? Whatever got you interested, I am urging you to ask yourself if you still maintain that passion you once had? Do you embrace and look forward to leading with the numbers every day? The Finance and accounting fields offer a great opportunity t...
Nov 15, 2022•8 min•Season 12Ep. 3
Send us a text How productive are you during the day? Is your day filled with distractions? Do you have set templates and use your available tools to make your workday easier especially for routine tasks? Having a productive day begins with our mindset. Use the tools you have available to make your work day more productive. Develop systems for routine work. Protect your time and your team and focus on adding value where you can to make a positive impact across the organization. Let’s all have mo...
Nov 08, 2022•15 min•Season 12Ep. 2
Send us a text Are you facing a leadership challenge right now, or soon? Do you even know? Have you been complacent, or are you watching for the signs that change or a business challenge is imminent? When things are going well, it’s easier to lead, but when the business environment changes, it requires a more leadership emphasis from you. Be watchful for business and senior leadership changes and be ready to adapt and lead your team through the challenge, whatever it is. Episode outline: Acknowl...
Oct 20, 2022•16 min•Season 12Ep. 1
Send us a text We all need a reminder to believe in ourselves especially when it gets tough, that is, when you face a challenge and then doubt tries to settle in. We are all in a battle to overcome beliefs about our abilities in our mind. Limiting beliefs can take over our mind AND our spirit at any time, which then affects our ability to take risk and seize opportunities. Please connect with me: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclainiii 3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant 4. LinkedIn...
Oct 11, 2022•18 min
Send us a text Who you have in your inner circle matters. Who you have around you, and who you associate with regularly affects your mindset, how you approach life, your happiness, and the overall level of your mental, spiritual, and physical fitness. Who you let in your life matters, and it affects everything in your life. Please connect with me: 1. Instagram: stephen.mclain 2. Twitter: smclainiii 3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant 4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii Consider joining The Finance L...
Oct 04, 2022•18 min
