Question-and-Answer Session Fit In, Stand Out:
Blythe McGarvie
A: The FISO Factor is a skill people develop to successfully judge and act on contradictory demands that constantly challenge us in business and life. Leaders must have it to have people follow them.
A: It’s essential to do both, fit in and stand out. First, you stabilize and integrate into a situation, and then you can take risks and realize real transformation and growth. Like a car, you must have great brakes to go fast. You need the ability to stop when you want to for a drive. The faster the race, the better your brakes need to be. Similarly, if all you do is sit in your car with your foot on the brake, you won’t venture into new territory. You won’t accomplish much or reach your goal.
The FISO Factor is something you learn, just like you learn to drive a car. Luckily, you don’t need a licence to develop the FISO Factor!
A: There are six catalysts that enhance natural talent. They are financial acuity, integrity, linkages, learning, perspectives and global citizenship. All of us have some ambition or dreams for our business and for our lives. Mastering the FISO Factor catalysts allows us to harness our ambition and energy, directing it to our ultimate success. As a leader, all six catalytic agents or skills are important. Often, one or more will stand out because the leader becomes known for a particular talent. For example, a person I describe in the book who excels in global citizenship developed these skills by moving to Japan to run a division when he didn’t even speak the language. He found the effort to adapt and the challenge allowed him to grow twice as fast with his company than if he had stayed in his home country with a comfortable domestic life. As a result, his personal platform is broader and stronger than that of other people who did not Fit In, Stand Out.
A: Today, many people perceive business leaders lack integrity. For example in a major poll by CNN/USA Today/Gallup, only 23% of the public polled believed CEOs could be “people who can be trusted”. They ranked just above car dealers in trustworthiness. To break the mold, you must look beyond legal compliance and ask yourself, is this the right thing to do? Would you be willing to do what you are asking of others? Not only do the right thing, but we have to do things right. A first step is to break the conspiracy of silence and ask questions, if you see or hear something that just doesn’t seem right. Once you start on this path, your values will be clear and people will come to your for direction or as their beacon of hope, or North Star. That’s what successful leadership is about.
A: I didn’t always know when to Fit In or Stand Out. Over time, I realized that you can lose your investments, your health, and your job due to things beyond your control. The one thing that you can never lose is your own reputation. You have most control over that. So, I would ask myself. “Is this the right thing to do in spite of what consequences might befall me?” For example, at one company where I was responsible for investigating a possible acquisition target that senior management absolutely wanted to acquire, I started sensing there was “something rotten in the state of Denmark”. I learned to present my suspicions in a constructive manner and alerted the executives to my concerns. We were able to restructure the deal and just keep a small investment rather than take all of the risks. Later, the chairman told me I was brave for speaking up. That reinforced my belief that even if the tidal wave is going one way, you have to stand up for what you believe and try to convince others. Someday, the life you save may be your own!
A: The first step is knowing what you want. Then, you can work on talents that will lead you to the top. Being a woman CFO requires that you focus on the organization’s success and also be cognizant of your path to building the career you desire. The elusive ingredient in both leadership effectiveness and career success is the FISO Factor -- an executive’s ability to simultaneously fit in and stand out in pursuit of the timeless organizational goals of integration and transformation. FISO stands for Fit In, Stand Out.
Women stand out by the fact that only 25 of the top 500 US corporations have women CFOs.
A: Yes. I call these skills the catalytic agents required to create the desired reaction. Just as chemical compounds create helpful medicine, these agents allow you and your company to prosper. As you master the six catalytic agents, you will allow your company to grow in its industry and fulfill its function and at the same time create transformative changes.
A: The foundation of the FISO Factor is having financial acuity. Once you have developed this, other factors must be present: integrity, linkages, learning, perspective and global citizenship.
A: Finance is the language of business. You have certainly heard this statement before. It is the reason why academic classes in and books on “finance for non-financial managers” are perennially among the most popular in the field of business. In addition to financial fluency, you must develop financial comprehension. This is the ability to think about your company in the context of finance, to understand how your company makes money now and how it could make money in the future.
Once you develop financial acuity, you will have confidence that your leadership will drive results. When you can conduct a fact-based analysis, tie it to the financial goals of the company, and reach a sound, well-supported decision, you can recommend a course of action with confidence. Although there is uncertainty and risk in every decision, your batting average is sure to rise, as is your reputation as a leader. I cite several examples in my book, particularly Bob Lipp, the Chairman of St. Paul Travelers and Larry Bossidy, Honeywell’s former Chief Executive Officer.
A: Recent college graduates and businesspeople ready for the fast track, middle managers anxious to advance, executives aiming for the C-suite or the boardroom, and any employee who wants to improve team performance. I wrote this book for the reader who has a willingness to contribute, an active mind, high energy and ambition.
A: The world’s complexity requires that a person in business must fit in and stand out at the same time. No businessperson can be successful in the long-term by pursuing only one career imperative or the other. Those who are focused only on fitting in will never get beyond the status quo. Their destiny is to be passed over again and again. Conversely, those who are focused only on standing out will never establish the platform of support required to succeed. Their destiny is to stand alone. Successful business careers must be built on both imperatives. Aspiring leaders must discover the FISO Factor.
A: After 25 years in the corporate world, seeing formerly great companies disappear from the face of the earth due to a financial scandal or poor ethics or poor processes, I wanted to help others dedicate their work life to a business that was sustainable and give them the tools to help them know for themselves what true leadership requires. After sharing the FISO Factor program with others, it is rewarding to me to learn that a 54-year old reader enrolled in a week-long basic finance course to brush-up on her skills, or when a CEO told me he now uses financial acuity and the other catalytic agents as part of his performance reviews and deciding whom to promote.
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