In recent ICAEW article From CFO to CEO: the essential leadership skills, Philip Beddows, executive business coach and mentor and founding partner of The Silk Road Partnership, says that developing your people skills, alongside taking on board positions, is one of the most helpful things CFOs can do to position themselves to move into a CEO role.

Sarah Walker-Smith, ACA and CEO of leading UK law firm Shakespeare Martineau, agrees that making your people a priority is crucial for aspiring CEOs, saying, “If your aspiration is to move into general management, understand the importance of the people and how that leads to the numbers. Not the other way around.”

Luckily, crucial people skills such as communicating effectively and leading with empathy can be learned and developed to help you get ahead.

ICAEW offers a range of free resources for leaders and aspiring leaders, many of which count towards your CPD hours.

Start by heading to our leadership topic area where you’ll find the latest articles, reports, webinars and ebooks on pertinent topics.

Being a great leader requires a broad skillset, so you may also wish to explore our career development resources, as well as communication and presentation skills and negotiation skills content.

In case you missed it, here is some recent free ICAEW content on leadership which can be counted towards your verifiable CPD hours:

• What does the CFO’s changing role mean for you? This research project highlights opportunities for CFOs in their leadership on sustainability and includes a series of interviews from senior finance professionals.
• Listen to our recent podcast ‘So you want to be a leader?’ to find out which skills accountants need to build on to excel in leadership roles.
• Want to inspire the teams you lead? Honing essential skills to inspire and lead teams will provide some insights.
• Having a strong financial background is invaluable when becoming a CEO, but you also need the right leadership mindset and skills. Take a look at Ben Renshaw’s advice on how to move from a CFO to a CEO mindset.