No matter how successful you are, there is always something great to learn and as a CFO you must learn about the ever-changing business world. In this guide, we will share our list of the 10 best books for every CFO.
These books are written by the finest financial experts and successful business leaders. Here are the 10 best books for every CFO.
1) The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch
The 80/20 principle is one of the greatest secrets of successful people and corporations. According to this principle, 20 percent of the customers account for 80 percent of the revenue.
This principle is also known as the Pareto principle and in this book, you will learn how to apply this principle to your business.
Richard Koch explains how this principle influences modern business and how you can use it in a systematic and practical way to increase the effectiveness and improve the value of your company. This book is one of the best books for the CFO.
2) Good to Great by James C. Collins
Good to Great: Why some companies make the Leap and others don’t is a great management book by James C. Collins.
In this book, the author explains how companies transition from being good companies to great companies and how they sustain this transition.
James also explains how some companies fail to do this. James also explains the main reasons behind the success of great modern companies and how you can follow their footstep to achieve greatness.
This book is a great resource for every CFO as it will help them to understand the formula for achieving greatness.
3) The New CFO Financial Leadership Manual by Steven M. Bragg
Steven M. Bragg is a well-known financial expert and he has also been CFO of four companies. In this book, he explains the challenges faced by the new CFO and how you can overcome them.
In this lengthy guide, you will learn a lot of new lessons which will help you in your career and this book will provide you with strong guidance. This book is the ultimate guide for the new CFOs and it will help you to become an effective CFO.
4) The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
As a CFO, you will share a huge responsibility with your Team. Your decisions will decide the direction of your organization and the main problem at the executive level is communication.
This book gives you an insight into the 5 major problems of a team and it will help you to become a better team player.
The author describes the 5 main dysfunctions in the book: Absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.
This book will surely help me to become a better CFO and it is a must-read for every CFO as well as student.
5) The Lean CFO: Architect of the Lean Management System by Nicholas S. Katko
The Lean CFO is a great book for CFOs as it helps them to understand the Lean business strategy. Instead of discussing numbers, this book discusses why a Lean management system must replace the traditional management accounting system, and the author backs up the argument with logic.
This book also discusses how flow can drive the financial success of Lean and how you can break your company away from using standard costing to run your business.
It is a must-read book for every CFO as it will help you to develop a forward-thinking improvement approach.
6) Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World by Stuart Diamond
Negotiation is one of the most important skills of a successful CFO and this book will help you to master this skill. Stuart Diamond is a renowned journalist, and entrepreneur and he has been teaching Negotiation for more than 20 years at the University of Pennsylvania.
In this book, you will learn the different secrets that will help you to achieve your goals as a negotiator. This book is a must-read for every CFO as it will help you to become an effective CFO.
7) Future Ready: How to Master Business Forecasting by Steve Morlidge and Steve Player
Future Ready is one of the best financial books that deals with the art of Business Forecasting. In this book, the authors explain the crisis in the financial market and how it exposed serious flaws in the management method.
The conventional process of business forecasting is badly broken and it is concerning for every CFO around the world. This book addresses the important issues with business forecasting and it will help you to build an understanding of the subject.
8) The Alchemy of Finance by George Soros:
George Soros is one of the most successful investors in the world and this book is considered a great resource for C-level executives and businessmen.
In this book, the author explains the theoretical and practical account of current financial trends and it will help you to understand the modern financial market. This book also includes the investment practices and secrets of George Soros.
In the book, George also explains his new paradigm for the “theory of reflexivity” with respect to his unique investment strategies. This book is a great resource for those people who want to learn from the best.
9) Reinventing the CFO by Jeremy Hope
Jeremy Hope is a prominent financial author and chartered accountant. In this book, Jeremy discusses the challenges faced by the new CFO.
In this fast-growing business world, corporations expect more from their CFOs, they expect the decision-making support and performance insight to improve the results.
This book will help you to become an effective CFO by providing the resources and guidance to meet the expectations of your corporation.
This book will help you to revolutionize your role as CFO and help you to make smart and informed strategic decisions that make your corporation more valuable.
10) Guide to CFO Success by Samuel Dergel
Samuel Dergel is a prominent executive search consultant and he is also the author of some of the best financial books. In this book, Samuel explains how to be a successful CFO.
This book serves as a strategic guide for CFOs, it reveals how to be a successful CFO and how to manage the issues faced by CFO on a daily basis.
This book also reveals the important practices for building and developing an effective finance team. It is one of the best books for every CFO, we recommend it.
