It feels like everyone in accounting is talking about AI right now. But if you look closer, not many people are actually using it. Even fewer are leading with it.
Most firms are still stuck somewhere between “we’re curious” and “we’re scared.” They know automation can help, but they’re unsure where to start or how to get everyone on board.
The gap isn’t between humans and machines. It’s between belief and buy-in.
Where Real Change Starts
Technology doesn’t change firms. People do!
Firms spend years buying software without ever changing the way they work. Others transform their entire client experience in one season because one person (often a manager or senior) decided to fix what was broken.
That’s what I call a digital champion. Someone who doesn’t wait for permission to innovate. They see the pain points everyone complains about and say… There has to be a better way. Then they go find it and prove it works.
The $9 Billion Opportunity
Here’s one example that always stops me in my tracks. Every year, firms waste about $9 billion chasing, copying and manually keying K-1 data.
Nine. Billion. Dollars.
That’s not just an inefficiency problem; it’s a leadership opportunity waiting to be claimed.
Tools like the K1X Aggregator® are eliminating 90% or more of the manual work in K-1 prep. But the real win isn’t the time saved.
The hardest part isn’t learning the tech. It’s getting your firm to believe in what’s possible once they see it.
Turning Proof Into Buy-In
That’s why I partnered with K1X to create a new XcelLabs course called Turning Tax Tech into Leadership Opportunity. It’s a real-world case study built around K1X. But it’s not a software demo; it’s a leadership lab.
You’ll step into the role of a tax senior or manager exploring automation and learn how to turn proof into buy-in. Because leading change doesn’t start when you get the title. It starts when you decide to prove there’s a better way.
Because leadership doesn’t start when you get the title. It starts when you get curious enough to prove a better way works.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why are we still doing it this way?” this course will help you answer that question and do something about it.
Explore the free course on XcelLabs Academy.
Where Leadership Begins
AI isn’t replacing accountants. It’s amplifying the ones who know how to lead with it.
And leading doesn’t always mean having a seat at the partner table. Sometimes it means being the person who finds a smarter way to process a K-1 and helps everyone else see what’s possible.
That’s the future of accounting leadership. AI-First. Human-Always.
When I use AI personally, I might waste a lot of time in discovery mode. I wonder if this mentality carries over into work where people feel like they don’t want to use the tools that could waste time.