About this series: In 2024–2025, Eraneos researched real leadership behaviors making a difference in finance. This five-part series uncovers what’s needed for meaningful, lasting impact.
Continuous improvement. It sounds simple, but embedding it into day-to-day work is a true leadership challenge. Our research makes this painfully clear: half of all employees still see efforts as half-hearted. That isn’t just a missed opportunit, it’s a call to action for every executive who wants to drive real change.
Why does it matter?
In financial services, where regulations shift rapidly and digital transformation is always on the agenda, improvement isn’t just a project, it’s a daily necessity. When leaders commit to improvement as a habit, regulatory demands become less daunting, legacy systems lose their grip, risks are addressed at the source, and, perhaps most importantly, people feel energized to make a difference.
Let’s bring this to life with practical examples:
- Regulatory reality: Streamline compliance by embedding improvement into routines, so regulations like DORA and NIS2 are dealt with before they become roadblocks.
- Technical debt: Make time to tackle legacy bottlenecks head-on, accelerating digital goals and freeing up resources.
- Operational risk: Use root-cause analysis (think “5 Whys”) to kill recurring issues at the source, strengthening resilience.
- Employee engagement: Give teams the power and space to fix frustrations, when employees see improvement is part of their job, engagement and pride rise.
"Continuous improvement isn’t a task for finance; it’s a mindset that begins with those who lead."
What do the most successful leaders do differently?
From our study, a clear pattern emerges. Organizations that really move the needle on continuous improvement have leaders who:
- Lead by example: They personally make time, with improvement sessions on their own agenda, not as a one-off, but as a priority. They “go and see” the issues, not just read about them in reports.
- Empower teams: They trust teams closest to the work to identify issues, providing support and, crucially, protecting time so this work isn’t pushed aside.
- Build the routines: Improvement isn’t left to chance. Leaders set up weekly meetings dedicated to improvement, categorize issues so simple fixes aren’t delayed and bigger challenges get focus, and keep track of which improvements are sticking and which need more attention.
The bottom line:
If your teams feel there’s never enough time for improvement, that’s exactly the reason to make it non-negotiable. Genuine, embedded improvement starts at leadership level, not as an initiative, but as a way of working. Start with time-saving wins, and let that momentum build.
Ultimately, continuous improvement isn’t an abstract goal or “theoretical holy grail.” It’s a practical habit that, when championed by leaders, transforms organizations from firefighting mode to future-facing and agile. Now it’s your move: protect the time, back your teams, and make improvement the heartbeat of your business.
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