The CFO “X-Factor” is Mental Fitness

As an Executive Coach for CFOs, I see a light bulb go on for leaders when they compare mind-fitness to the concepts of physical fitness. “If you are not physically fit, you feel physical stress as you climb 10 flights of stairs.” And CFOs are asked to climb fast, metaphorically run fast, day in and day out.

As with muscle-fitness, unless you have a certain level of mind-fitness, you feel stress — such as frustration, anxiety or dissatisfaction — while you lead difficult projects and as you work with others. Which is not unusual: 80% of CFOs score below the minimum level of mind-fitness required for peak performance and happiness. (Assess your own fitness here, in 5 minutes.)

The good news? Recent breakthroughs in technology and neuroscience prove one can dramatically increase one’s mental fitness in as little as 6 weeks. According to studies led by Stanford University researcher, lecturer and CEO coach Shirzad Chamine, experts can literally see visible changes – growth in the “gray matter” of regions of the brain that control executive function -- on an MRI scan.