MANY OF US STRIVE TO BE THE BEST IN OUR FIELD. We work to sharpen our craft through study, invest in professional development, and employ the rule of 10,000 hours of practice for skill mastery that Malcolm Gladwell made famous. 

We often revere perfection as a golden ticket to success. It can be hard not to compare our own personal journeys to those of others with different talents and accomplishments.

Yet consider the quote, attributed to Voltaire, “Perfect is the enemy of good.” The influential Enlightenment philosopher actually wrote, “Best is the enemy of good,” crediting it to an old Italian proverb, “Il meglio è nemico del bene.” Fittingly, the exact wording has become slightly muddled through time and translation.

One of the reasons the CFA charter is deemed the gold standard in finance is that charterholders embrace continuous learning and recognize that there is always something more that they can improve. Whether working through the rigorous coursework required to pass each level of exam to earn the charter or putting in extra time to continue their education throughout their careers, CFA charterholders are committed to ongoing personal and professional growth.

In this issue of The Analyst, we explore excellence in the finance profession through the lens of the gold standard. The knowledge learned in the pursuit of Voltaire’s “good” rewards charterholders’ thirst to know more and to better serve the financial community. We feature an in-depth summary of CFA Institute’s Certificate in ESG Investing, which is now available in select North American markets (including Toronto). We also provide thorough coverage of continuing education events on climate change, low interest rates, and corporate governance of artificial intelligence. 

Our charterholder profile celebrates the career of Nick Papadakos, CFA, as he shares his career journey from the military to the world of finance. We also look at how CFA Society Toronto is helping to shape the future of the finance profession by hosting the Local Competition for the CFA Societies Canada Ethics Challenge and the CFA Institute Research Challenge.

Now that we are more than a year into the pandemic, some of the ideology of perfection as the secret sauce in success has been turned on its head. We have begun to embrace balance, rest, and self-care; focus on our own personal growth instead of chasing unrealistic expectations; and take the time to learn and not fall victim to the Dunning-Kruger effect. We will keep working towards our own personal gold standards and stay proud of what we’ve been able to achieve during this tumultuous time.