Jul 5, 2022
A lot has been said about CFO’s, but what do you know about their Leadership? Modern CFO’s have a diversity of activities that they perform, like equipping Teams and Managers with the right support in a fun way to perform at their best.
In this episode of the Legendary Leaders Podcast, we have Robert E. Bendetti, who talks about the fun side of Accountancy and Leadership. He is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Life Cycle Engineering (LCE). As CFO he is responsible for all the Financial Operations of the Company, as well as Accounting, Finance, Contracts, Purchasing, Security, Facilities, Process Automation, and IT.
Listen in to learn how to achieve personal and professional goals by identifying where you’re lacking, and then taking small steps that will get you there. You will also learn the benefits of remote and hybrid work in bringing more efficiency, engagement, and flexibility to organizations.
Listen in to learn the importance of vertical development in driving leadership effectiveness and business outcomes. You will also learn about the different stages of vertical development and why you need to be comfortable and supported to get to the top stage.
Key Takeaways:
- How to write down your tasks and make time for what’s important to you, to avoid wasting time.
- How to equip people with processes, talent, and technology to do their best job as a Leader.
- How to keep people engaged by involving them in the process and seeking their input when trying something new.
- How to take small steps that will help you achieve personal and professional goals.
- The benefits of remote and hybrid working like efficiency, engagement, and flexibility.
- How to establish a relationship and be engaged with the people you’re hiring to get the best talent.
Episode timeline:
- [1:13] Intro
- [4:45] The stereotype that CFOs are bad people, where it originates from, and the truth.
- [9:14] Robert explains how he supports managers and enjoys the diversity of activities of a modern CFO.
- [12:05] Robert, on what he does away from work plus how he turns his weakness into a strength.
- [17:09] He explains why he doesn’t waste time or stress about his work and life.
- [21:35] Lessons he learned about marketing and marketing teams, and the value these added to him as a CFO.
- [28:24] How Robert supports people in the organization so they can serve customers well, which increases revenue.
- [29:47] Robert explains what not good Leadership is, and how he practices good Leadership.
- [34:17] How Robert is improving himself and his career, to become a better Leader than he’s ever been.
- [38:54] The impact of many forms of education on the development of a Leader.
- [41:36] The importance of having a work-life integration rather than work-life balance.
- [43:09] Robert, on why he prefers working with organizations with the ambition to keep growing.
- [44:13] Skills of a good CFO, plus how you can take baby steps to transform in any area of your life.
- [56:06] Robert explains the advantages of remote working that he has experienced since the pandemic.
- [1:03:09] How he finds the best talent to work for the less and super busy departments.
Quotes:
- “People don’t just go off and do what they’re told, people will purposely try to sabotage your idea or they just don’t work very hard if they weren’t involved in the process.”- Robert Bendetti [37:29]
- “If it’s truly company-wide transformation, that passion needs to come from the CEO, and then the CFO will help execute that vision.”- Robert Bendetti [47:00]
- “Just try to make a really small change, do something now that you could do forever, a small change can have a dramatic impact.”- Robert Bendetti [52:53]
- “Remote, flexible, and hybrid work is such a weapon during this time of scarcity of good people.”- Robert Bendetti [58:20]
Find | Robert E. Bendetti
- On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertbendetti/
- Life Cycle Engineering: https://www.LCE.com/
- Global CFO Council: https://www.globalcfocouncil.com/
About Robert E. Bendetti, Jr., CPA:
Robert is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Life Cycle Engineering (LCE).
Prior to LCE, Robert served as V.P. of Finance at
Galey & Lord and CFO of The Coastal Logistics Group as well
as financial management positions within Lockheed Martin, Hormel
Foods, and
Hilton Hotels.
Robert has an undergraduate degree in Finance and an
MBA from Kennesaw State University as
well as a Masters of Accounting and Financial Management (MAFM)
from DeVry. Robert is also
a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Prosci Change
Management Professional, and a
Certified Six Sigma Green Belt.
Robert’s volunteer activities include serving as a
member of the Board of Trustee for the
Educational Foundation for Women in Accounting (EFWA) and serving
as an advisor to the
Board of Directors for the South Carolina Federal Credit Union.
Robert is also the President and founder of the
Global CFO Council. The purpose of the Global
CFO Council is to provide an educational and networking forum for
Senior Financial Executives
(SFEs) to share best practices, to discuss current financial
issues, and to learn about current
topics related to the performance of their jobs. There are 1,500
members in 32 countries.
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About
Cathleen Merkel:
As a Thought Leader in the Mindset & (Self-) Leadership space, Cathleen supports high achieving, but worn-out women create a more content & balanced life without sacrificing their hard-earned success. Following a simple 6 step framework, she helps you not only reconnect with your inner feminine side; Cathleen also supports you to rediscover your REAL YOU!
Cathleen focuses on women who lost their sense of purpose, who feel
they are running in a
‘hamster wheel’, trying to please everyone but themselves.
She helps you to turn your careers, your social connections and
personal life around so that you will start feeling fulfilled and
excited again about the days to come. At the end of the
process, Cathleen's clients will feel healthier, happier, energised
and clear about their future.
With over 15 years of Leadership experience in Retail, Media & Broadcasting, Engineering and Property Investment, Cathleen has not only experienced the challenges and opportunities of a Female Leader herself; she has also been leading and supporting various Leadership Development initiatives within large, complex, multinational matrix organisations.
Only by deeply experiencing her very personal life challenges – ‘hitting a wall experiences’ – was Cathleen able to redefine her own purpose, deciding to bring ease and content to as many women on the planet as possible!
Connect:
Find | Cathleen
Merkel
At cathleenmerkel.com
On
Instagram: @CathleenMerkel
On Facebook:
@CathleenMerkelCoaching
On
LinkedIn: @CathleenMerkel
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