How to Make the Business Case for Change
McKinsey & Company’s research suggests that 70 percent of change efforts fall short of their objectives or fail altogether. That creates a challenge for you as a leader to obtain approval for change initiatives when you are not the ultimate decision-maker. Increase the likelihood of getting approval from your superiors by making a strong business case
Leading Change with Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a primary driver of leadership effectiveness. Numerous research studies identify EQ as more important than technical skills, industry knowledge, and other factors that set apart top-performing leaders. EQ expert Daniel Goleman credits emotional intelligence for 90% of the difference between star performers and average ones in senior leadership roles. EQ is essential
How to Build Your Personal Brand
Putting some thought into your personal brand can help you show up as your best self in every business situation. Bill was a senior accountant for a multinational company in the hospitality industry.* Although he enjoyed his job, Bill was unsettled and longed for “more.” His attempts at earning promotions to manager ended in disappointment when
5 Ways to Engage Millennial and Gen Z Talent
Lessons learned from Deloitte’s 2019 Millennial Survey. Uneasy. Pessimistic. Dissatisfied. Skeptical. Disillusioned. These words from The Deloitte Global Millennial Survey should give every accounting and finance leader pause. The morale and engagement of millennials (those born between 1983 and 1994), who will soon make up over one-half of the global workforce, and Gen Z workers (those born
Lessons on Change from a Night at the Airport
It’s inevitable. It happens at virtually every airport, every day, across the world. Flights are delayed or canceled. Sometimes, it’s weather-related. At other times, maintenance issues, crew schedules, or other logistics are to blame. No matter the cause, the response from the flying public is fun to watch as I did on a recent business trip.
Want a Better Team? Work on the Team – Not Just as a Team
As a CPA, you’ve probably heard the saying, “you need to work on the business, not just in the business.” Perhaps you’ve given that challenge to a client or colleague at one time or another. I suggest a similar mantra when it comes to building better, stronger teams: You need to work on the team, not
3 Keys to Attracting and Retaining Accounting and Finance Talent
Winning top talent in a tight labor market is one of the CPA profession’s biggest challenges, but it doesn’t have to be. It comes as no surprise to me that “finding qualified staff” and “retaining qualified staff” were among the top five issues named across all size CPA firms in the most recent AICPA Private Companies
Employee Engagement and Successful Change
Employee engagement is a crucial driver of several positive business outcomes, such as productivity, employee retention, customer satisfaction, and profitability. What’s often overlooked is the importance of employee engagement in driving successful change. Research by Anna University management professors C. Swarnalatha and T. Prasanna discovered a vital link between the two. The Gallup organization has studied
Leader, Slow Down to Go Faster
“The pace of change will never again be as slow as it is today.” (Matthew Bishop, The Economist’s Innovation Forum, 2015) I paused as I saw these words on the big screen at an industry conference. “Shoot,” I thought, “I was hoping to catch a break sometime along the way.” No such luck. It’s true. The pace
10 Reasons Why I Love Business Development
When I launched my leadership coaching and consulting practice, I gave myself three years to build it to a financially viable and sustainable business. I had no clients at the time, so I knew I would spend most of my time on business development during the start-up phase. Fast forward three years and I’m pleased to
