FP&A Stories -π¦The 3 levels of FP&A leadership (and which one you're actually at)
Hello Reader πLast weekend, I went to see an old friend. He has been in FP&A for over a decade, made it to Head of FP&A, and lately has been feeling like he has learned everything there is to learn in his field. His conclusion: time for a full career change. I have nothing against that. I completely changed my own career four and a half years ago, and I would do it again. But I wanted to understand whether he had actually explored everything his role could be, before deciding he had seen it all. So I started asking questions about his week. What decisions was he shaping? What conversations was he driving? And slowly, a very familiar picture emerged. He was Head of FP&A on the org chart. He was doing the work of a very good analyst in practice. He had never really seen the levels clearly enough to choose between them. So this week, we are talking about the 3 levels of FP&A leadership: what they look like, why so many people get stuck, and how to move between them deliberately. So take a coffee, sit down and read FP&A Stories just like 19k other readers This week in FP&A Stories π¦The 3 levels of FP&A leadership
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π A masterclass next week you will not want to miss
π¦The 3 levels of FP&A leadershipWhen I talk about levels, I mean something specific: where you actually spend your time on a normal week, whatever your job description says you should be. Getting promoted to Head of FP&A is real. But the work often changes very little. More meetings, more pressure, same type of thinking: you are doing more of what you already did, with a bigger title and less time to do it well. You could think personality changes that, but my view is that it was simply never shown to us: most FP&A professionals have never had these levels described clearly enough to feel like a genuine choice. Let's dig into that Level 1 β the operatorYour value comes from what you personally produce: the reporting, the models and the variances. You are the one finding the error at 11pm before the board pack goes out. Most FP&A careers start here but too many stay here, because Level 1 offers something higher levels do not: a clear sense of completion. And humanly, we love that feeling because it is real, and it is easy to organise your entire professional identity around it. Level 2 β the business partnerThis is where influence starts to replace execution. You lead forecasting conversations, challenge assumptions, translate numbers into decisions. The time horizon shifts from days to months. What surprises most people is how uncomfortable the transition feels. You don't learn new skills but you more rarely have that checkbox (β ) next to your to-do list. At Level 1, the work is done when the output is correct. At Level 2, the work is done when a decision has been made. A useful test: if your stakeholders could replace you with a well-configured dashboard and lose very little, you are probably still at Level 1. Level 3 β the strategic finance leaderThe value here is enterprise-wide. You shape capital allocation, align finance to business strategy, and influence executive decisions before they become financial facts. What makes Level 3 different is that it is less about doing and more about designing. You are building the conditions in which good decisions get made consistently, through systems, trust, and the people you have developed around you. And I have to be frank with you: you cannot hustle your way here. The move from Level 2 to Level 3 requires a track record of influence that leadership has experienced directly. That takes time. How to move between levels deliberatelyThe move will not happen by default. I have seen plenty of Level 3 titles held by people operating solidly at Level 1. Moving from Level 1 to Level 2 starts with one question: not "is this correct?" but "does this drive a decision?" You insert yourself into conversations earlier, before the numbers are final. You offer a point of view without being asked. It feels exposing at first, but don't worry: that discomfort is the signal that you're there. Moving from Level 2 to Level 3 is more structural. You need to build things that carry your thinking further than your calendar can reach. That means developing the people around you to handle conversations you used to handle yourself... ....and letting go of the execution that made you good in the first place. When I walked my friend through this, he went quiet. Then he said: "I think I have been running a very efficient Level 1 operation and calling it Level 3." One of the most honest things I have heard in a long time. And it changed the entire conversation: from whether to leave, to where he actually wanted to go next. Final Thought Most FP&A leaders do not get stuck at Level 1 because they lack ambition. They get stuck because Level 1 feels complete. The model works, the report went out, the job is done. That sense of closure is real β and it is exactly what makes it so easy to stay. The move to Level 2 is not about doing more. It is about letting "done" mean something bigger than a correct output. And Level 3 is less a destination than a practice. You reach it by building things that work without you. Hit reply and tell me: what was the moment you realised your title and your actual operating level were two different things? I read every message and reply to all of them. π Financial storytelling maturity model (live masterclass)On Wednesday 6 May at 5pm CET, and after the success of last month edition (240 registered), I am running a live masterclass for CFOs and FP&A team leaders. We will cover why 84% of CFOs are dissatisfied with what their teams present, how to map exactly where your function sits today, and the 4-step methodology that makes strategic communication repeatable. If this week's topic resonated, this is the next step. Register here: The Financial Storytelling Maturity Model masterclassβ That's a wrap for this week See you next week!β P.S. After 17 years in FP&A, Consulting and Leadership, Iβve coached and trained finance teams across industries, from consulting and manufacturing to tech, media, and global logistics. If you want to sharpen your own storytelling skills or bring this work into your team, here are a 3 ways can work together:
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