six reasons you don’t want to be the boss

life changes when you move up the ranks.

allred

after years of coaching partners and partners-in-waiting, sam allred of upstream academy knows a thing or two about what it takes to succeed as you climb the executive ladder at an accounting firm.

but rarely has he put it so succinctly. the skills you need in the new job are hardly like the skills that got you there. executive-level leadership bears little resemblance to being a good partner or manager.

allred offers six things leaders need to do when you become a partner. think twice about whether you really want the job.

  1. give up the right to remain silent – when you become a partner, you must speak up – not nod your head and then go door-to-door after the meeting talking to the other partners. not speaking up, in the proper forum, creates artificial harmony.
  2. keep an open mind – learn how to listen and question before deciding and acting.
  3. you give up the right to make all decisions – sole-practitioners don’t need to worry. but when you join a partnership, you give up that right.
  4. learn to make the proper commitment – saying or thinking, “i will stay out of the way” is not making commitment. it’s a case of “grudging compliance” vs. “spirited commitment.”
  5. willingness to get outside your comfort zone – you cannot stand still. becoming partner doesn’t mean you “made it” and now you can coast. you must keep moving, maybe faster and bolder than ever.
  6. you become a leader for change – they hired you to do things differently, or better. change is the mandate. you must be in front of it.

via rita keller

who’s that with rita keller?

yesterday, in “the three ms of success for cpa firms,” i wrote about business icon herb kelleher’s reputation for chain-smoking, wild turkey whiskey and his “dressing up as elvis.” and i added, “as for the keller i know, she does … continued

three ms of success for cpa firms

what rita keller teaches us from southwest airlines’ legendary founder.

by rick telberg

it’s been a rollercoaster ride in the past few years, with firms at first drowning in work, followed by a crippling staff shortage, then a market crash and belt-tightening, then re-expansion with a broadly profitable busy season. so a few weeks of peace and quiet this summer could seem appealing to staff and management alike.

but management guru rita keller is here to tell you that you can’t afford much rest. “there’s work to do,” she says about cleaning up rusty and outmoded cpa firm management practices. keller has a message for firms to focus on marketing, mentoring and managing — the three ms.

read more →

tough love or team play?

maybe they’re both right!

rita-keller-photo-mug.jpgmark-bailey-07.jpgmark bailey (pictured at left) at mark bailey & co. and rita keller (pictured at right) at bradyware are having a spirited discussion about ranking employees based on performance and value to the firm, and then being frank with them about where they stand in the rankings.

rita agrees with the moss adams method, and quotes ceo bob bunting as saying: read more →