Want to know the key role in a company that needs to be future ready?

For the longest time I've been perplexed by this question: why the board members of most businesses are educated in the old ways? CAs, lawyers, engineers, etc, although these might be key skill sets, they are not able to navigate the business through what's going on in the world currently. Mostly CEOs, CIOs, CMOs are not asking the right questions in this new world of business (similar to the republican party in the States, in my opinion).

But I've realised that they are all perfectly positioned in their roles. All they need is a CFO. No, not a Chief Financial Officer, but a Chief Future Officer. This is becoming more and more an imperative role - to keep an eye on what's coming, constantly looking for the gaps and advising the board's thinking and decision making process.

It's kind of what a CEO used to do but that's when the world moved a lot slower and he or she could just make incremental changes as and when the market moved, slowly, slowly...

But 'slowly, slowly' is not part of the our vocabulary any more, so the Board and the CEO needs a CFO more than ever... call it 'the co pilot'!

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Five steps to get a CFO:

1. Start asking different questions
2. Start identifying people who are natural early adopters
3. Convince your partners / board members that its a vital role
4. Explore
5. Hire, and move into the future confidently...