4 Habits That Separate High-Performing CFOs From the Pack

New research from Sage—one of the world’s largest and most trusted enterprise software companies—reveals the behaviors that help finance leaders double revenue growth for their organizations.

Vision33, an award-winning global Sage Intacct partner, invites you to explore the findings below. You can also scroll to the end to download your copy of The CFO Growth Code Report. 

High-Performance Finance Leaders

What separates a good CFO from an exceptional one? According to groundbreaking research from Sage involving over 1,700 finance leaders from eight countries, it boils down to four specific habits.

The results are eye-opening: Companies led by these high performers are twice as likely to achieve strong revenue growth compared to their traditional counterparts. A third of high-performance companies saw robust revenue growth in the past year, versus just 17% of those using legacy finance approaches.

Sage’s research also revealed legacy finance leaders are more than twice as likely to experience revenue decline. 

The message is clear: The four specific habits of high-performance finance leaders highlighted below are critical for growth in an ultra-competitive landscape.

Habit 1: Leverage Artificial Intelligence and Automation 

High-performance finance leaders use AI as their daily copilot: 

• 96% use AI to underpin their finance processes

• 93% plan to increase their usage over the next two years

But they're not just talking to ChatGPT—they’re implementing AI-powered systems that transform entire workflows.

Habit 2: Always Make Data-Driven Decisions

High-performance finance leaders don't just collect data—they live and breathe it:

• 44% use data or process automation at least weekly

• 65% leverage data visualization at the same frequency

• 61% use outlier detection tools

This data immersion translates into real business impact.

Habit 3: Expand Your Influence Beyond Finance

High-performance finance leaders have broken free from traditional finance boundaries. Over the past two years, they've taken on non-finance responsibilities, including operations, growth initiatives, and workforce planning.

Looking ahead, their influence will expand further: 

• 34% expect to lead ESG initiatives

• 38% anticipate owning digital transformation

• 31% plan to shape company culture

Habit 4: Take Command of Compliance

While many finance leaders view compliance as a burden, 90% of high performers see it as a competitive advantage— compared to just 74% of legacy leaders.

The secret? Taking ownership. More than half of high-performance finance leaders take sole responsibility for compliance, versus only 39% of legacy leaders.

Your Path to High Performance

These four habits aren't exclusive to Fortune 500 finance leaders—they’re actionable behaviors any CFO can adopt, regardless of company size.

Download the CFO Growth Code Report to explore detailed insights and practical steps for implementing these four critical habits in your organization.

Vision33 is a global, award-winning Sage Intacct partner. Our certified consultants work with growing businesses that have outgrown solutions like QuickBooks, Sage 50, Sage 300, and Xero.

With hundreds of successful Sage Intacct implementations, Vision33 helps businesses in many industries—including non-profit organizations, SaaS companies, and professional services firms—transform accounting frustrations into mission success and strategic growth.

Contact us with questions or register for our next live Sage Intacct demo.