I thought that as we're in August in Europe, I'll do another book review as I personally read a lot of books when going on holidays. 

If you’re a startup Finance Manager, FD or CFO-in-the-making, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith should absolutely be on your reading list.

Within startups and scaleups, technical skills might helped you get to the level you're at right now, but they won’t be enough to lead. Leadership is about evolution and that’s exactly what this book is about.

So if you’re finding that you’ve hit a bit of a wall in your leadership career or maybe you’ve been told to “be more strategic,” or you’re struggling to build influence across the business then this book is for you.

Here are 5 takeaways that will help you if you're trying to become a confident and effective finance leader:

1. Your Strengths Might Be Holding You Back

Goldsmith’s central thesis is a hard one to agree with and that is that the behaviours that made you successful in the past can be the very same ones that stop you from progressing in your current career.

This is especially true for finance professionals.

Being detail-oriented, risk-aware, and focused on accuracy will earn you trust and credibility.

But those same traits can also make you come across as overly critical, resistant to change, or hard to collaborate with.

Why this matters for you:
If you’ve recently stepped into a finance leadership role, don’t assume that working harder at your technical strengths will win you more influence. At this level, your value lies in your mindset, not your spreadsheet mastery.

I definitely made this mistake and talk about it quite a bit of detail in my own book.  I thought working harder was all that was required!

2. Stop Needing to Be Right

This one hits home for a lot of us in finance. We’re used to dealing in facts. We like to be correct. But in leadership, always needing to be right can make you difficult to work with.

Goldsmith calls this “winning too much” and is the need to add one more point, correct the minor error, or make sure your view is heard.

Why this matters for you:
If you find yourself pushing back in meetings just to “get the numbers right,” pause and ask yourself: will this build trust and buy-in, or just drain energy from the team? 

It's best to always think about materiality.  Is the correction going to change the outcome or the decision?

3. Feedback Isn’t Optional

You can’t grow as a leader without feedback. But Goldsmith makes the point that feedback isn’t just something you receive, rather it’s something you ask for regularly, and do something with.

For finance professionals, this can be uncomfortable. We’re not used to seeking out subjective views on how we’re perceived.

Why this matters for you:
If you’re serious about levelling up, ask for feedback from your CEO, team, and peers and not about your spreadsheets, but about your communication, impact, and influence. Then track what you’re changing over time.

Negative feedback is what pushed me to that next level.  I hadn't really received much negative feedback before, but when I did - I listened and made huge changes.  It was the pivotal moment for me in my career and I still ask for feedback regularly today.

4. Apologise, Don’t Just Explain

This is a subtle but powerful leadership tool. When we make a mistake or misstep, it’s tempting to over-explain or defend our decision-making. But leadership requires humility.

A simple, direct apology builds more trust than a long-winded justification. Especially in a high-pressure startup environment where mistakes are inevitable.

Why this matters for you:
If a report was wrong, a forecast missed the mark, or a process didn’t land, own it, apologise, and outline the fix. Your CEO will respect you more for it.

I now really notice when a more junior person gets defensive and tries to justify or make excuses for a mistake.  It's harder to apologise and own it but it's the mature thing to do.  

The next step is to also work out how to ensure that this mistake doesn't happen again.  Again, huge kudos if you do this.

5. What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There

Yes, the title is the final,  and most important takeaway from this book

You’ve worked hard to become the trusted, reliable finance person in the business.

But moving from manager to leader means shifting your focus.

From being the expert to enabling others.

From getting everything “perfect” to getting things done.

From technical excellence to strategic influence.

Why this matters for you:
You’re no longer just there to “do finance.” You’re there to help the business make better decisions. And that requires letting go of perfection, sharing your thought process, building trust across departments, and being visible and vocal at the leadership table.

It's a HUGE learning curve and I have often said that moving from an unqualified to qualified accountant is much easier than moving from a manager to a trusted and confident leader.

This is why FLF exists.  To support you going through this change.

Why You Should Read This Book

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There is a practical guide for any finance professional who’s hit a ceiling and whether it’s with confidence, communication, or career progression.

If you're transitioning into a CFO role or trying to become a more strategic finance leader, this book helps you zoom out. It’s not about finance tactics, instead, it’s about self-awareness, influence, and becoming the kind of leader people want to follow.

I highly recommend taking this one on holiday or adding it to your audio list if you're walking to work. It's full of short, punchy chapters with examples that will feel very familiar if you’ve worked in startups.

Here are more book recommendations.

Want to become a confident, strategic finance leader in a startup within the next 12 months? 

Here’s your plan:

1. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for weekly practical tips and real talk about startup finance leadership.
2. Read my book Financial Leadership Fundamentals to get clear on what’s expected of you and how to show up as a leader.
3. Join the Financial Leadership Fundamentals course to fast-track your growth with structure, support, and strategy that works in the real world.