S5E16: Leadership Development Must Include Financial Leadership

“Go write those stories, prepare and practice. And then if the occasion calls, go off script.” Peter Margaritis This is an excerpt from the book, “Off Script: Mastering The Art of Business Improv.“ The Silent Killer of business is ultimately a lack of financial acumen. The death knell of a company comes from having leaders who are empowered to make important decisions, who don't understand the fundamentals of Accounting and Finance. leaders need this understanding and knowledge to make a more informed, smarter and more profitable decision. Further, without the key elements of Improv in place, we won't have the courage or safety to talk about the money. We need to teach accounting and finance to non-financial leaders in a manner that removes the complexity from accounting and financial jargon, and teach them the fundamentals in plain English. When you switch the accounting and finance light bulb on, and include it as part of the Improv leadership development, your leaders will make better business decisions because their business acumen has been fully achieved. In business, problems and solutions are always about money. The improv exercises in this book provides you with tools that can always make you stronger regardless of your title or the amount of work experience or your confidence. Your ability to generate big results from these improv activities sometimes hinges on the participants’ basic financial acumen to have these conversations in the first place. The combination of Improv off script leadership skills, and strong financial acumen can take you and your organization to new heights. It's been my great honor to introduce you to the world in which more yes is possible. A world in which respect, trust and support underlie our every interaction; a world in which we can focus on what matters and listen to the people who matter. A world in which we can adapt to any contingencies, opportunity or crisis, like a seasoned, talented improviser, ready to accept the gifts of change and forge forward into a story that'