Amer Al Ahbabi is a Serial Entrepreneur, Global Board Member, and Group Chairman at Vertix Holdings LLC., based in the UAE.
Every durable venture rests on one foundation: a senior team that can turn vision into repeatable execution. Capital helps and technology can accelerate progress, but none of it matters if the people at the top are misaligned, under-motivated or cycling in and out.
A single data point frames the stakes: Gallup finds that about 70% of the variance in team engagement is attributable to the manager. I saw this early in my career when a finance project stalled even though capital and strategy were in place. Two senior leaders were pulling in different directions. Only when they aligned on shared priorities did the project succeed.
A Blueprint For Finance Leaders
To put this into practice, here are four steps leaders can take:
1. Hire for judgment you can trust.
Resumes tell you what happened. Judgment tells you what will happen. Define three outcomes, three decision rights and three nonnegotiable behaviors for each senior role. Vet candidates against real situations. Avoid the brilliant performer who erodes trust. Culture debt becomes financial debt.
I learned this when I promoted a junior employee I had observed for eight years. Promoting him was recognition of consistent judgment under pressure. He now runs one of our largest companies.
2. Make autonomy work with clarity.
Top managers do not need constant direction. They need clarity, resources and room to move. Set one 12-month mission, three company priorities and a small set of metrics the leader can influence. Replace status meetings with decision forums so time is spent on choices that move the P&L.
At Vertix, we saw how misalignment creeps in when communication is inconsistent. To solve this, we instituted weekly alignment meetings. Every Monday, we review progress and set the week ahead.
3. Create a portfolio operating rhythm.
When you run several businesses, attention is your scarcest asset. Use a monthly portfolio review that is short and comparative, focused on momentum, roadblocks and talent. Standardize a one-page update across companies. Repeat a single North Star narrative so every CEO, GM and function head can tell it the same way.
In one fast-growing subsidiary, managers prioritized corporate projects over their own unit’s P&L. We restructured reviews so each unit reported momentum, roadblocks and talent on a single page. Within two quarters, performance improved and managers balanced corporate goals with accountability.
4. Align incentives to the horizon you want.
Great leaders want to win and to own part of the outcome. Design compensation that rewards near-term performance and long-term value creation. Tie a portion of cash to controllable operating metrics. Tie meaningful upside to value milestones such as profitable market entry.
I once noticed that leaders at a subsidiary prioritized group-level projects at the expense of unit results. We restructured incentives so 70% of compensation was tied to controllable unit metrics and 30% to group milestones. Within two quarters, performance improved. Incentives are powerful levers of focus and must align with what you want leaders to deliver.
Mini-Case: Resetting A Team In A Two-Company Tug-Of-War
One portfolio business, a regional services operator, missed targets quarter after quarter. A deeper review showed two root causes: Incentives pulled leaders toward corporate projects, and no one had the authority to stop low-ROI work.
We ran a 30-day reset. Decision rights were clarified, incentives were tied to both unit metrics and portfolio milestones and two distracting projects were retired. Two quarters later, the team hit operating targets, attrition fell and decision speed improved. The lesson is the sequence: Clarify ownership, align pay with controllables and value creation, then remove distractions.
Incentives, Risk And Retention
For finance leaders stewarding capital across multiple businesses, incentive design is risk management. Match payout mechanics to what leaders can truly control. Keep cash tied to operating levers like margin expansion or cash conversion, while reserving upside for value inflection points such as profitable market entry. Balance pay mix so short-term cash does not crowd out long-term ownership.
Owners Versus Managers: Channeling Clashes Productively
Most friction comes from gaps in time horizon, information and identity. Close the gaps with a simple decision-rights matrix and a pre-commitment to how disagreements are resolved. Encourage hard debate before a call is made, then expect alignment after it. Rotate a senior leader each quarter to act as a red team on one critical assumption.
In my experience, when a top manager resigns, it is often after a personal meeting. Most of these resignations are not about money but about trust or growth. Addressing those issues can help reignite loyalty and reduce turnover.
Why You Should Build A Bench Before You Need It
Retention is easier when leaders see a path ahead. Create succession maps for every senior role and invest in two potential successors per seat. Give high-potential leaders real P&L ownership on small projects so they can make mistakes while the risk is limited.
In one case, a senior executive left unexpectedly. Because two successors were ready, the transition was smooth. Every key role should have at least two people ready to step up.
Owner’s Team Scorecard
Use this quick test each quarter:
• Role charters fit on one page and list outcomes, decision rights and behaviors.
• Leaders can state the 12-month mission and three priorities without notes.
• Decision forums replace most status updates.
• Portfolio review compares momentum, roadblocks and talent on one page per business.
• Incentives link to controllable metrics and value milestones with time-bound vesting.
• A red-team rotation challenges critical assumptions every quarter.
The Takeaway
Technology accelerates what your team is already able and trusted to do. If you want durable results, start by hiring for judgment and values, define outcomes and decision rights with precision, align incentives to the future you want and turn inevitable owner-manager friction into a disciplined advantage. Do this consistently, and your investments, product bets and market expansions have a better chance to compound. The right team is not a line item. It is the flywheel.
Forbes Finance Council is an invitation-only organization for executives in successful accounting, financial planning and wealth management firms. Do I qualify?