As A Leader, You Worry About Others – But Don’t Forget About Yourself

Whether you are an actual owner, principal, firm administrator, marketing director, HR director or a talented up-and-comer inside your CPA firm, the fact that you are reading this blog means that you deeply care, and worry about the firm, the client and your team members. But what about YOU, personally?

Many of us in CPA firm management are servant leaders; we think of others first. That is what makes us good at what we do. I firmly believe that we should all put the good of the firm above any one person or group of people. If the firm does well, we all do well.

That being said, I also believe that YOU must not forget about each individual and their career success. Most progressive CPA firms have worked through a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats), crafted a vision statement and documented beliefs to live by.

Have you, as a leader in your firm, done this personally? This is something, we consultants, sometimes use in individual coaching sessions and you can do it for yourself. Give it a try and see what develops. You might identify and clarify a path to where YOU are going and how you are going to get there.

If you are working at a CPA firm, no matter what your title, and you continually improve your performance, it helps the firm to also continually improve and become more successful.

Here’s an example of a form to use for your personal SWOT:

About the Author

Rita Keller is the Founder of Keller Advisors, LLC and SurveyCPA, LLC. She is a widely respected voice to CPA firm management. Through her presentations and workshops, she interacts with thousands of accountants annually.  Named as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People In Accounting, she acts as an advisor and coach to CPA firm leaders across the country.  She can be reached at rkeller@ritakeller.com.