The next generation of firm leaders won’t emerge by accident.
For a long time, firms assumed that enough experience would eventually turn good accountants into trusted advisors, manages and leaders. A lot of firms are still training accountants for a version of the profession that no longer exists.
Things Have Changed
The profession has changed, and more importantly, the skills that clients actually value have changed. This means that firms need to become more intentional about how people develop than they were in the past.
You can see this change is already happening in real time. Firm leaders are increasingly centering conversations around questions like:
How do we help younger employees communicate more confidently?
How do we develop advisory skills earlier in someone’s career?
How do we help people exercise good judgment when they haven’t seen every situation before?
How do we create more opportunities for coaching when managers are already stretched thin?
They’re looking for people who can explain complex issues clearly and anticipate problems before they arise. They want to work with professionals who can ask thoughtful questions, build trust and help them make decisions. Those skills need to be developed.
People Drive Growth
Every firm eventually reaches a point where its ability to grow becomes directly connected to its ability to develop people. You can improve workflows. You can invest in technology. You can acquire new clients. But at some point, growth requires more employees who can communicate effectively, build trust with clients, exercise good judgment and take on greater responsibility.
These skills need to be developed. That might mean investing more heavily in coaching. It might mean giving employees more opportunities to practice communication and advisory conversations. It might mean being more intentional about sharing knowledge that currently lives inside the heads of a few experienced leaders.
Whatever the approach, the firms that win the talent battle will likely be the ones that treat development as a strategic priority instead of a byproduct of experience.
Real growth in your firm relies on developing more people who are capable of serving clients.
