Alumni story / Coaching for confidence

"Believe you can and you're halfway there.”  Theodore Roosevelt

Why might a director of finance or a chief finance officer be lacking in confidence? New roles mean new challenges. The NHS finance leader’s role, with its mix of managing a tight ship and having the courage to look to the horizon, can lead to testing times. The jump to becoming a board member is significant and the DOF/CFO role can be a lonely place.

Where an NHS finance leader is lacking confidence, an executive coach can help focus on the positive, thus increasing self-esteem. Consider, for example these three encouraging observations:

1. You didn’t get here by accident, a stringent recruitment process ensured that you had the necessary talent and potential to deliver. 

2. You didn’t appoint yourself, DOF/ CFO appointments are made by the chairman and chief executives who are experienced in choosing and developing their executive teams. You can take comfort that senior people with significant experience have shown faith and judgement in your ability.

3. Confidence builds when you make good decisions, you can then face the next range of options with enhanced confidence. A good executive coach can help you to reflect on, harness and expand your strengths.  

So are good NHS finance leaders born or nurtured? I believe that good DOFs are grown and developed and executive coaching is an excellent way to improve and fast track the advancement of a current or an aspiring director of finance

To find out more about HFMA’s executive coaching service, visit our webpage and arrange a call back with Claire Merrick.