Integrative Thinking: The Guide to Becoming a Value-Adding CFO

CFOs have an immense responsibility and career-defining challenge in helping their organisations navigate complex multi-dimensional problems, from managing limited resources to satisfying differing stakeholder needs. The CFO should no longer focus purely on the finance but support the creation of wider value. To do this, CFOs require a balance of skills, behaviours and mindset, which in this guide we term ‘integrative-thinking capabilities’. Further, these capabilities will need refining and enhancement throughout a career. Informed by the views of senior finance professionals and talent developers, this report explores what is meant by integrative thinking, its capabilities and guides on the key approaches to develop them. Although we address CFOs directly in this report, the insights are relevant to all accountancy, business and finance professionals working in business or in practice.