This letter was shared last Friday by Aggie Malter, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Area Independent Schools Business Officers Association (PAISBOA). We are collaborating together to equip the leaders in the school's business office with the skills to build greater engagement and trust across the campus. Deeper relationships between the business office and administrators improves the school's ability to innovate and grow.

Chief Business Officers must wear many hats as they manage their institutions. Although every role you play is important, three key roles define your success more than any others: capacity builder, cultural traveler and horizon thinker. Fulfilling these roles effectively is essential to the success of the school.

An arsenal of versatile skills is an asset to any Chief Business Officer. Although all of the skills you possess will be beneficial to you in the course of your job, three specific skills are particularly important: creativity, communication and decision-making. Honing each of these skills will help you to be the best you can be in your position. 

As a Chief Business Officer, you are involved in managing the operations and administration of the entire school. Although every CBO is unique, the best CBOs typically share three key qualities: self-awareness, trustworthiness and agility. The more you capitalize on these qualities, the more successful you and your institution will be.

Inspiration arrives different ways for me - most often unexpectedly. Sometimes in a state of sleep, or in the shower, or even while driving. And occassionally when teaching...

Frank Aloise has some stories to tell! As the CFO of Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCH) for 16 years, having served as the board chair of NBOA, and as the board chair of PAISBOA, he has seen the ups and downs of school leadership.

In my interview Frank shares his wisdom and insights about cultivating cohesiveness in the team, advice that he wishes he had known years ago, along with some tips for improving as a consultative business officer (CBO). As you will see, Frank is an outstanding example of a CBO, especially in light of his servant leadership attitude, how he prioritizes his time, his collaborative spirit, and in his expert ability to build trust and engagement. Below I've summarized the key points from our dialogue.