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UK – Strong leadership skills needed to succeed in accounting & finance

09 October 2015

Strong leadership skills are the top attribute that contributes to success in the UK accountancy and finance sector, according to 60% of respondents to a survey from recruitment firm Robert Half, reports theactuary.com.

Nearly half (47%) of the more than 200 finance executives interviewed also said strong technical skills were important to reach the top because successful finance leaders “must be appropriately skilled and knowledgeable”.

Effective communication (33%) was the third most cited key skill for a successful career, followed by competitive nature (32%), futuristic outlook (30%), strong interpersonal skills (17%), and risk taking (16%).

When working with other departments, 42% said the most common challenge was managing stress from crisis situations. Prioritising conflicting deadlines was the second most common cross-departmental challenge as cited by 26% of respondents. 

Learning to interact with a variety of personalities (15%) came third, while conveying financial information in non-financial terms (14%) followed closely behind.

Phil Sheridan, Managing Director of Robert Half UK, said: “Accounting and finance no longer operates as a silo and has affirmed its position as a strategic partner to the business, encompassing more than the ability to crunch numbers.”

“The importance for accounting and finance professionals to have exceptional soft skills as well as technical ability is a reflection of that. These professionals need the leadership skills and effective communication backed by technical ability to deliver actionable insight for the business,” he added.