A board would never let a CEO get away with this

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Q3 earnings season is here, which means every finance parent I know is running the same trade: sacrifice time at home to stay sharp at work.

We’re digging into the data, modeling scenarios, adjusting allocations. We’re doing the job we’re paid to do.

Meanwhile, a small CFO at home (Chief Fun Officer) just wants you to approve a request for ice cream for dinner. 

In my career, I’ve learned we’re actually really good at this. 

Not always the balance part, but the execution part.

We know how to prioritize under pressure, make tough calls with incomplete information, and how to allocate scarce resources toward the highest return.

We just forget that those same skills we us at work, work at home.

If your family had an earnings call, the first question would be:

You’d probably do what I used to do…

• Blame macro headwinds AKA busy season. 

• Cite a one-time event (this project will be over soon).

• Make a promise (things will calm down next quarter).

That mindset finally caught up to me and I realized something…

A board would never let a CEO get away with those answers. 

So, why would I let myself get away with it?

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When a company misses on a key metric, good management doesn’t just acknowledge it, they adjust, reallocate resources, change the strategy and execute differently.

You know how to do this too because you do it at work.

It’s not a capability problem. It’s more a permission issue. 

Take this newsletter as your permission slip to:

• Say no to a late meeting.

• Move a call to still make school pick up.

• Treat time at home like the non-negotiable line item it actually is.

You crushed it at work this quarter. That’s real! Give yourself a pat on the back. 

But here’s what’s also real is that you’re capable of protecting what matters without blowing up your career. 

You’ve made harder trades than this.

So here's your assignment for this week:

Protect one hour. Sixty minutes. Move a meeting. Say no to a late call. Block off bedtime like it's a board meeting.

Pay attention to what happens. I bet you still get your work donw. I bet your career survives. And I bet the person who benefits most remembers it longer than any earnings call you'll take this quarter.

You already know how to execute. This is just another allocation decision.

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