It’s a long weekend in NSW. The clocks changed last night.
The weather is expected to hit 30 degrees tomorrow.
BBQ season is in full swing, and summer no longer feels a long way away.
When I was in the butcher’s buying short ribs and in the park with the dogs.
I don’t think I saw anyone thinking about finance.
And that’s exactly the point.
For most leaders, finance is something you deal with when you absolutely have to.
Month-end reports, for example. Or in your meeting with the finance team.
It’s not something you integrate naturally into how you lead.
Here’s what I’ve learned after two decades as a CFO:
The best financial decision rarely happens during “finance time”
They happen when you’re clear-headed, when you understand what matters, and when you can ask the right questions without getting lost in complex spreadsheets.
Which brings me to something I’ve been working on for the last 18 months.
Money Talks: The Leader’s Guide to Finance Conversations (even if you hate numbers) launches in just over a week.
I didn’t write the book to teach you about accounting.
I wrote it because I kept meeting brilliant leaders who finance “really boring”.
The book is built around a simple framework: Frame. Focus. Flow.
No complex formulas. No financial jargon. Just practical tools for having better conversations with your finance team, so that you make better decisions.
Free chapters to download now: I’ve made the introduction and first chapter available as a free download.
It explains why most leaders struggle with finance (spoiler alert: It’s not because they aren’t smart) and introduces the 3 barriers that get in the way.
What’s Inside:
· Why “I’m not a finance person” is costing you more than you think.
· The 3F Framework for clarity in Finance
· Questions to ask (not numbers to memorise)
· Real examples from organisations that got it right (and those that didn’t)
I’ll sned you more details next week.
For now, if you’ve ever felt lost in a budget meeting, confused by a financial report, or avoided asking questions because you didn’t want to look stupid, this is the book for you.
Until next Sunday,
Matthew
Words I Like: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. ” – George Bernard Shaw
Matthew Needham is an accountant and former CFO who consults and speaks on improving organizational performance. He helps leaders without a finance background confidently engage in financial discussions, enabling better decisions that drive improved performance. For more information, visit matthewneedham.co.