In this solo episode of The Diary of a CFO, I sit down halfway through the year to reflect on what I’ve learned during my first two years in the CFO seat, as well as the lessons I’ve gathered from speaking with more than 40 CFOs on this podcast.

I talk about the difference between strategic thinking and strategic leadership, and why most companies test for the first when the second is what ultimately keeps you in the seat.

I also explore why your relationship with your CEO and board can be the single most important factor in whether you succeed or get pushed out, including a real story from a CFO whose CEO asked her to stop attending board meetings after she shared information he didn’t want disclosed.

We get into why working with a founder CEO is completely different from working with a hired CEO,  ...