Balancing Act: How Finance Leaders Can Achieve Career Success Without Losing Themselves

After working in Finance for two decades, I can say with deep conviction that Finance is uniquely challenging.?

I liken it to offensive linemen in football.? When a touchdown is scored, no one recognizes the linemen that paved the way.? But when a lineman commits a penalty, the camera pans to the offender, zooming in on his face as he hangs his head in shame.

The need for precision, analytical prowess, and strategic foresight is paramount, leaving little room for error.? The stakeholders are many and complex.? The competitive and regulatory landscapes are ever-evolving, requiring constant adaptation and learning.? And systems are often lacking and not adaptable enough to keep up.

For Finance leaders, these challenges multiply. They are not only accountable for their own performance but also for guiding their teams, making and influencing strategic decisions, and ensuring compliance at every step of the way. The pressure to deliver results consistently while managing and motivating a diverse team in a constantly evolving landscape adds further complexity. The stakes are higher, the expectations greater, and the margin for error even smaller, making the role of a finance leader one of the most demanding in the industry.

These demands can create an environment where the boundaries between work and personal life blur, leading to increased stress and anxiety. For Finance leaders, it’s not just about managing numbers—it's about managing immense responsibility and maintaining a delicate balance between professional excellence and personal well-being.

"She was winning in her career but had lost herself."

With this backdrop in mind, I’d like to share the journey of a finance leader I had the opportunity to coach – we’ll call her Michelle.?

As a Director of Finance and Operations, her career trajectory was nothing short of stellar. Year after year, she earned glowing performance reviews, was promoted regularly, and was well on her way to her ambition of becoming a VP. Michelle was a high achiever, meeting and exceeding the ambitious goals she set for herself.

Yet, despite her professional success, Michelle was increasingly miserable. The fulfillment she once found in her accomplishments was overshadowed by a relentless anxiety about not being able to get everything done. This anxiety only grew as her responsibilities increased with each promotion. The more successful she became, the more she felt she was losing control.? She was winning in her career but had lost herself.

At home, the situation was no better. The boundaries between work and home had become so blurry that she found herself perpetually in “work mode.” Her interests and identities outside of work had dried up under the weight of her professional obligations. She was always on, always thinking about the next task, the next goal, the next challenge.

Beliefs

Michelle reached out to me, recognizing that she needed a change. Through our sessions, Michelle discovered that her extreme work ethic was driven by deeply ingrained beliefs such as “I have to prove my worth through my work” and “I must endure no matter what.”

Understanding these beliefs was the first step toward change. We then worked on reframing these beliefs and redefining her identity.

Boundaries

Michelle learned to set clear boundaries and prioritize her tasks with a focus on what truly mattered. One of the strategies we developed was a ritual to help her transition from work mode to personal mode, allowing her to be fully present with her family and reclaim her interests outside of work.

How Success is Defined

Through this process, Michelle made peace with the idea that she didn’t have to get everything done to be successful or worthy. She realized that her worth was not solely defined by her professional achievements. By aligning her actions with her newly defined values and goals, she began to experience a sense of control and joy that had been missing for years.

The Results

The transformation was profound. Michelle was still a hard worker, but now she had found an inner peace because her actions were congruent with her desired life. She had regained control over her life and rediscovered her joy.? To her surprise, this newfound balance made her even more effective in her career – because she was laser-focused on the right things.

Michelle’s story is a powerful reminder that career success doesn’t have to come at the expense of personal well-being. It requires a willingness to reflect, redefine, and realign our actions with our values. She told me she could never have done this on her own.? I don’t know about that, but I know that difficult change is possible when we have someone to help us navigate it.

If Michelle’s journey resonates with you, it’s a sign that you might be ready for change. As a finance leader, you understand the weight of responsibility and the pressure to perform, but you don’t have to navigate these challenges alone. Imagine redefining your work-life boundaries, reclaiming a sense of control, and finding some much-needed breathing room while continuing to excel professionally. ?

Reach out today, and let’s explore how you can win in your career – and be aligned with your deepest values and priorities.