Looking Forward with Focus: Faith, Purpose & the Future of Finance in 2026
The Pause Before the Push
Each December offers finance leaders a paradox.
The year closes in spreadsheets and reconciliations, yet the season invites rest and reflection.
Between forecasts and family gatherings, we’re reminded that focus isn’t just a discipline, it’s a direction.
As I sit with that thought, I’m reminded that numbers may close the books, but purpose opens the heart. The close of the year invites not only reconciliation of figures, but renewal of faith, gratitude, and intent.
Lessons and Light from 2025
This past year challenged finance teams to look deeper than systems and dashboards.
The leaders who thrived weren’t just those who automated faster, they were those who led with credibility, humility, and heart.
At Changing the Face of Finance (CFOF), we saw that progress firsthand.
Through learning, creating, and listening, one truth rose above the noise:
technology can enable performance, but only leadership creates outcomes.
Faith-anchored servant leadership calls us to lead through purpose, not pressure.
To ask why before how, and to measure success by the lives we influence as much as the results we deliver.
Servant leadership isn’t a soft skill — it’s a strength of focus.
CPM + DnA in 2026: From Insight to Impact
Across industries, finance has entered a new chapter, one defined by the unification of Corporate Performance Management (CPM) and Data & Analytics (DnA).
2026 won’t simply reward automation; it will reward alignment.
From Systems to Synergy – Teams are realizing that isolated upgrades don’t produce clarity. True synergy happens when CPM and DnA (CPM + DnA) move together, guided by shared purpose.
From Metrics to Meaning – The best finance leaders are reframing success through outcomes that reflect both performance and principle.
From Automation to Alignment – AI and analytics deliver power, but strategy gives them aim.
This is the compass we follow at CFOF, helping leaders move from understanding to execution through the Compass Method™:
Baseline → Roadmap → Chart → Journey → Next Horizon → back to Roadmap.
Many teams have already defined their Baseline, an honest look at readiness and complexity. Some have built the Roadmap and begun the Journey toward measurable outcomes. But for others 2026 invites something more: to Chart how strategy turns into execution, to look ahead toward the Next Horizon, and then to return to the Roadmap renewed with experience and faith.
The compass never stands still; it guides forward motion.
Every phase builds on the last, each shaped by focus and intention.
Faith, Family, and the Future
Amid the year-end noise, faith and family steady the soul.
We lead finance organizations, yes, but we’re also called to lead at home and in community.
Leadership is an act of stewardship — of people, time, and trust.
This season reminds me that my purpose isn’t confined to dashboards or deals.
It lives in the laughter of family, the quiet of prayer, and the gratitude for those who walk beside me: colleagues, clients, and friends in this growing CFOF community.
Leadership grounded in faith gives us the courage to serve others, not for recognition but for impact.
(Visual: a single candle beside a compass face, soft glow suggesting both light and direction.)
Charting 2026: Focus, Faith, and Forward Motion
The year ahead will test every finance leader’s ability to focus; to filter noise, steward data, and lead teams through change.
But it will also reward those who lead with heart.
For CFOF, 2026 will continue that mission: advancing CPM + DnA, equipping leaders through the Compass Method™, and connecting faith-driven professionals who believe finance can serve a higher purpose.
As you close this year and look to what’s next, may your focus sharpen, your faith strengthen, and your purpose deepen.
May your 2026 be filled with clarity, courage, and compassion — in business, in faith, and in family.
(Visual: sunrise over water with a faint compass overlay, symbolizing renewal.)
Continue the Journey with Changing the Face of Finance (CFOF)
Join the CFOF LinkedIn Group for exclusive 2026 discussions.
Visit CFO-Future.com to explore the Compass Method™.
Subscribe to CFOF Substack for executive insights and reflections.
