Developing Future Leaders at your Firm

June 2015

CPAmerica A&A Conference

Presented by Art Kuesel

Art Kuesel, President

EXPERIENCE

Sales Executive3 years inside $60M CPA firm5 years inside $25M CPA firm6 years at PDI/Koltin Consulting2 years at Kuesel Consulting

EXPERTISELeadership and Sales CoachingSales/Marketing Training

EXPERTISE (Cont.)Keynotes, Presentations, Workshops on GrowthGrowth Plan Development/ImplementationManaging Partner CoachingSales & Marketing Recruiting

STREET CRED→Top 100 Most Influential Person in Public Accounting: 2014→In-house and external experience→Clients include scores of T250 Firms including a third of the T100→Frequent writer and blogger for Accounting Today→Accomplished speaker and presenter on growth trends

2

2

Workshop Agenda

1. What can good leaders influence @ your firm?

2. Characteristics of next gen leaders

3. What’s your vision?4. Important core skills in your

future leaders5. Components of a leader

development program*6. Making it stick @ your firm

43

What Good Leaders Influence @ Your Firm

Personal Reflections on LeadershipLeader “Mike”:Defined an objectiveInspired me to achieve it within a set of general

parametersEncouraged and helped me when it became challengingMotivated and rewarded me along the wayGave me the authority to make decisions in the best

interest of the objectiveAllowed me to fail

6

Personal Reflections on Management

Manager “Louis”:Wanted me to accomplish a taskIn an organized and effective mannerWith frequent upward Q&A utilizing his

knowledge on the subjectFor his ultimate approval/decision making and

creditAnd, he wanted me to avoid failure at all costs

7

Personal Reflections on Management

Manager: Plan, organize, coordinate to accomplish a task

Leader: Inspire and motivate

8

Good Leaders GREATLY Influence

• People Retention

• People Acquisition

• Client Retention

• Client Acquisition

• Profitability!

9

Characteristics of “Next Gen” Leaders

Generational Differences ABOUND

11

Generational DifferencesGeneration X “Millennials”

Latchkey Kids, MTV Generation Gen Y & Z

1965-1980 1981 to 2002

50 million 98 million

36-51 years old 14-37 years old• Cynical• Prefers informal work

environment• Suspicious of Boomer

values• Favor outcomes over

process• Value control of their

time• Want open

communication regardless of title

• Dislike office politics• Value merit over

experience

• Acceptance-seeking (“The Trophy Generation”)

• Need constant feedback & reinforcement

• Expect a training and learning culture environment

• Collaborative• Like to challenge old

traditions• Want to succeed, and

do it fast• Like social networks

12

Characteristics of Gen X Leaders

Thrive on change Independently creative Straightforward Adaptable Flexible Hate being micro-managed.

13

Characteristics of Millennial Leaders

Conscious Future-Oriented Transparent Collaborative Problem solversFurther, they want their leaders to mentor

others, achieve personal goals, and effect positive change in their community

14

Many Generational Differences

15

WAIT!

What’s the Vision?

What’s Your Vision?

Vision: An inspirational declaration (North Star) of where you are headed long-term

17

What’s Your Vision?

Deloitte: Aspire to be the standard of excellence, being the first choice of the most sought after clients and talent

Uber: Smarter transportation with fewer cars and greater access.

Amazon: Be the earth’s most customer centric company

18

Why you Probably need a Vision…

• Clarity for the vision gives direction…• Which breeds passion… • Which gives meaning…• Which provides synergy…• Which defines focus and success…• and visionary leaders can inspire and motivate

effectively and clearly!Source: Sandra Wiley

19

Beyond the Vision…

I. VisionII. MissionIII. Core ValuesIV. Strategic Areas of

FocusV. Strategic GoalsVI. Actions

20

Companies with…

…a defined vision and mission that are aligned with a strategic plan…

Will outperform their peers, attract better talent, and retain better talent.

Source: Bain & Co.

21

Important Core Skills in your Future Leaders

Core Skills for Leaders in CPA Firms

23

Components of an Effective Leader Development Program

1) Comprehensive Curriculum

25

Personal and Professional Development

• Personal SWOT• Defining your Personal

Leadership Style• Creating a Personal

Development Plan• Time Management 101• Accounting Firm 101:

How a Firm Makes Money

26

Client Development

• Understanding your Role with the Client

• Being a Proactive Advisor• Developing Relationships

and Building Trust• Cross-Serving/Selling• Achieving Loyalty – and

Referrals!

27

People Development

• Delegation and Leverage as a Development Tool

• Team Building 101• Serving as a Mentor and

Coach to your Team• Performance

Management • Delivering Effective

Feedback28

Business Development

• Building a Personal Brand and/or Niche

• Capitalizing on your Biggest Asset: Clients

• Developing a Referral Source Network

• Succeeding at the Sales Process

29

Firm Development

• Herding Cats: Leading Other Partners

• Creating a Culture of Accountability

• Strategic Planning 101• Leveraging Technology• Talent Acquisition• Niche Growth and

Expansion30

2) Utilize Multiple Learning Styles

31

3) Adequate Frequency

32

4) Realistic Application

33

Taking the Leap!

Step 1) Define your Objectives and goals

YP’s? Basic Skill Building? Future Partners? Leadership? BD? Technical? Who attend?

Step 2) Decide on your resource investment ($, hours p/p, people to develop the program)

Step 3) Insource, Outsource, Blended?

Step 4) Build your program

Step 5) Execute

Step 6) Evaluate

34

Making it STICK @ Your Firm

Making it Stick: Best Practices

Motivated Participants Frequency of Program Touches Performance Coaches to Support Participants Evaluation & Feedback Results = Something

36

Why Leadership Development Programs Fail

1. Overlooking context, Decoupling reflection from “real work”, Underestimating mind-sets, Failing to measure results

2. Failing to clearly define objectives from the beginning, lacking flexibility in the program, making it a required activity

3. Lack of content of interest to attendees, lack of coaching and personal support, attendees afraid to fail

Source: 1) McKinsey, 2) Triputti-Lunden, 3)Baltzell

37

What’s Working @ Our Firms

CPAmerica’s NextGEN Conferences

39

What’s Working @ Our Firms?

60 Partner Firm• Internal Leadership

Academy*• Hartman Assessment• Path to Partner

Program*• Internal and External

Coaches*• ELA

40

What’s Working @ Our Firms?

25 Partner Firm• NextGEN• Internal Coaching

Program• Roundtables• ELA

41

What’s Working @ Our Firms?

15 Partner Firm• Elevated HR Role• Leadership and

Development Courses*

• Internal Mentorship• Rainmaker

42

What’s Working @ Our Firms?

10 Partner Firm• New Talent/Learning

Director• NextGEN/CALCPA YP• DiSC & Course

Offerings• ELA

43

Small Group Discussion & Reporting

Step 1: Objective is to Achieve a Blended Table of:

Some WITH LDPSome WITHOUT LDP

GO!

44

Small Group Discussion & Reporting

Step 2: For those with LDP:1.Describe what you do in LDP2.Describe the Most Effective

Things you do3.Describe the Biggest ObstaclesBe Ready to Report

GO!

45

Small Group Reporting

463

What’s Next?

47

• New Role for the CHRO

• Why we Love to Hate HR

• The Future of HR

• Rethinking HR

Thank you!

Resources for you at www.kueselconsulting.com/CPamerica

Art Kuesel

art@kueselconsulting.com

312.208.8774

www.kueselconsulting.com