• What is it?
  • CPA Leadership Report is a unique monthly review of publications serving the accounting profession.
  • Our editors study about 25 of these publications every month.
  • We select articles that help leaders and managers develop initiatives for growth, increased productivity, and better earnings. Nearly every person in the firm is, or can be, a leader.
  • Leadership and management topics are varied. We include strategy, execution, organization, partner roles, staff relations and motivation, recruiting, retention, succession, mergers, learning, technology, administration, and much more.
  • We also include major news stories affecting the accounting profession.
  • We select only those articles that have value for managers and leaders.
     
• How is it presented?
  • We write a brief, but comprehensive synopsis for each article we select.
  • Each synopsis includes what is necessary for proper comprehension, however, for readers who seek additional material we provide source information.
  • In most instances (about 75 percent of the time) the source information is an electronic link directly to the complete article.
  • Each article is included in the searchable archives.
     
• How to best use it.
  • Monthly review:
    • Each month you will receive an e-mail containing the current issue.
    • Don't try to read the entire issue
    • Scan the contents list each month for articles that pertain to issues currently important for you or the firm. Click on the title. Read the article or print it for later reading or for sending to a colleague.
    • You don't need to save the e-mail. It is just a reminder. You can access the current issue, or any issue, at any time by visiting www.cpaleadership.com and entering your user name and password (be sure you save it in the system).
  • For projects:
    • Preparing for a staff presentation:
      • Enter the presentation topic in the search box. Try various key words and phrases.
      • Review the index to find articles specific to your topic.
      • Use the synopses and complete articles to help you prepare your presentation.
    • For retreats:
      • Search the archives using the key word "retreat." You will find information on retreat topics and retreats in general.
      • Once you have selected your retreat topics, use the same steps as for "staff presentations" above.
    • For partner meetings:
      • Determine the subject of your meeting and develop the appropriate key words or phrases.
      • Once you have selected your meeting topics, use the same steps as for "staff presentations" above.
    • For launching any initiative such as a recruiting program, a paperless office, an outsourcing program, etc., follow the steps above.
    • For decision-making in areas such as merger decisions, technology budgeting, selecting niches, selecting associations, etc., follow the steps outlined above.
    • For personal planning such as setting new business goals, developing networks, creating personal marketing plans, etc., follow the steps outlined above.
       
• Using the Profit and Value Manager
  • What is it?
    • It is a list of questions about leadership and practice management that every firm should investigate.
    • The Profit and Value Manager is based on the sources in the monthly issues of CPA Leadership Report, from which we add new questions each month.
    • It is located in the Resource Center.
  • How do I use it?
    • A special team should review the list and determine which questions are answered "no." These should be considered to see if they are applicable to your firm, and if so, to investigate further.
    • Questions answered "yes" should also be investigated to determine if your methods can be improved.
    • It gives you the ability to drill down for more information. Here's how:
      • At the end of each question is a link to one or more articles to help you focus on the question.
      • Click on this link and you will find the summary of the article. At the end of the article you will find the source for the complete article. For most articles there is an electronic link to a Website with the complete article.
         
• Best Practices Finder
  • What is it?
    • It is a list of articles from CPA Leadership Report in which other CPA firms are interviewed to learn about their approaches to various initiatives.
    • Hundreds of firms are included, many of whom you will know.
  • How is it used?
    • It helps you benchmark best practices.
    • It also helps learn about innovative practices of other firms.
    • It is located in the Resource Center
      • You can access articles by topic. Look up the topic and you will find links to articles that contain the information about the firms indicated.
      • You can access firms by location. This enables you to read about firms in your geographic area, and what initiatives they are pursuing.

If you would like to subscribe to CPA Leadership Report, please click here for our secure on-line order form. Group savings are available.

Firms are developing their own unique applications for the impressive resources in the CPA Leadership Report archives, which now include over 500 articles. Please share them with us so we can share them with other firms. Just e-mail me or call. I look forward to hearing from you.

Joel Shiffrin, President
CPA Leadership Institute, Inc.
150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2700
Chicago IL 60601
jshiffrin@cpaleadership.com
888-406-0088