November Leadership Forum
Vol. 3 No. 11, November 2011
The Leadership Forum is a panel of the most prominent thought leaders in the profession. Each month we ask them to respond to a question dealing with CPA firm management and leadership.
This month's question is: What specific things are CPA firms doing to develop leadership skills among their staff members?
Consultants and Other Prominent Observers
| August Aquila | Aquila Global Advisor Group, LLC | www.aquilaadvisors.com [email protected] |
| ...On a more practical matter, you want to get the next leaders involved in various aspects of the firm - similiar to a management rotation...More | ||
| Angie Grissom | The Rainmaker Consulting Group | www.therainmakeracademy.com [email protected] |
| ... firms are providing training in the areas of leadership including but not limited to communication improvement with team members and clients, business development and technical assistance...More | ||
| Rita Keller | Keller Advisors, LLC | www.ritakeller.com [email protected] |
| ...I would rather see firms address "management" first and then move on to leadership training...More | ||
| Bob Lewis | Visionary Marketing | www.thinkvisionary.com [email protected] |
| ...Finally, they need to be taken out on meetings, in proposals, reviewing proposals after they are sent out and being asked to critique them and suggest refinements...More | ||
| Jay N. Nisberg | Jay Nisberg and Associates | [email protected] |
| Several of my clients have set up their own "University" concept. Some have hired Chief Learning Officers...More | ||
| Patrick Pruett | The Alliance of Professional Associations and Enterprise Network Worldwide | http://enterprisenetworkworldwide.com [email protected] |
| ...Career Paths - If you have no place to go you will have no reason to leave where you are...More | ||
| Marc Rosenberg | The Rosenberg Associates | www.rosenbergassoc.com [email protected] |
| ...1. Hold partners accountable for mentoring and growing staff into leaders...More | ||
| Lisa Tierney | TIERNEY Coaching & Consulting | www.TIERNEYCoaching-Consulting.com [email protected] |
| ...leadership = empowerment. CPA firm leaders should recognize the strengths of the team, acknowledge their areas for weakness, and motivate them ...More | ||
| Sandra Wiley | Boomer Consulting, Inc. | www.boomer.com [email protected] |
| ...Firm Project Leads -- Assigning the rising stars to lead a committee or a project in the firm and develop their leadership skills by actually leading is another excellent component of a terrific leadership program...More | ||
| Jennifer Wilson | ConvergenceCoaching LLC | www.convergencecoaching.com [email protected] |
| ...special firms also take the time to honestly assess their people and share areas for improvement so that their team members can develop that way as well...More | ||
| Anonymous | ||
| The most important thing a firm can do to develop leadership skills is to develop a culture and system of accountability for partners to clearly and directly direct staff to advance...More | ||
Firm Leaders
| Richard A. Berkowitz | Berkowitz Dick Pollack and Brant | |
| There are those that say that Leaders are born not bred. The implication is that true leadership is innate and you cannot train leadership. Leadership has many levels. There are infinite ways for one to be a leader and CPA Firms should provide as many opportunities as possible for members of the Firm to be leaders. When a member of our Firm becomes a board member of a community organization, we support their involvement with donations and time. We ask Firm members who attend outside CPE to teach the material to others' in the Firm. Two years ago we started a Toastmasters Chapter and to date almost a third of the Firm has been involved weekly learning communication and life skills with others in the Firm in a safe and supportive environment. We established a Director Development Program which requires an application from the Firm member wishing to join the program. Recruiting has provided us with an opportunity to have newer members of the Firm active at the University's . In our internship programs, leadership and independent thinking are a key focus. I have an entrance interview with each new member of our Firm. I tell them to make mistakes....once. Great leaders may be right 50% of the time. However, if they are afraid of failing or making a decision, they may raise their average but will never make the tough decisions faced head on by great leaders. A CPA Firm must provide frequent opportunies for Leaders to make decisions and hone their leadership skills. | ||