LEADERSHIP

Pushing into Law? A Seismic Shift for Firms | Accounting Influencers

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AZ opens the door to multidisciplinary firms, and Big Four competitors are watching closely.

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Accounting Influencers
With Rob Brown

Accounting and law have long existed in parallel, separated by strict professional boundaries. That wall may be crumbling. KPMG is moving to become the first Big Four accounting firm in the United States to own a law firm, a step that could reshape the profession.

The opening occurred in Arizona, which recently amended its rules to permit non-lawyers to own law firms under alternative business structures (ABS). KPMG seized the opportunity, announcing plans to launch KPMG Law US. The firm will not enter courtroom litigation but instead focus on contract management, legal project support, and M&A contract harmonization.

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Garrett: Embrace Your ‘And;’ Transform Firms | Gear Up For Growth

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Your job title doesn’t define you. Your ‘and’ does. 

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Gear Up for Growth
With Jean Caragher
For CPA Trendlines

“If we make sure that people are doing their ‘ands,’ they’re going to accidentally do their best work,” says John Garrett, author of “What’s Your ‘And’?” and stand-up comedian. During his appearance on Gear Up for Growth, hosted by Jean Caragher of Capstone Marketing, the self-described “recovering CPA” says, “They’re going to accidentally stay. You’re going to attract more talent. You’re going to attract more clients. Everything good is going to happen from that.”.  

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Garrett says your job title doesn’t define you, your “and” does. An “and” is a passion, hobby, or interest outside of work that makes people unique and memorable. “You’re not a CPA; you’re a human being that does accounting work. You’re bigger and better than a tiny, little job title,” he explains. 

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Will Your Success be Incremental or Exceptional?

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Eight forces that have altered the future of accounting firms.

By Anthony Zecca
Leading from the Edge

“All organizations are perfectly designed to get the results they are now getting. If we want different results, we must change the way we do things.” – Tom Northup, author of “Five Hidden Mistakes CEOs Make”

What a great statement not just about accounting firms, but all organizations – “perfectly designed to get the result they are now getting.” There is another old saying that goes something like this: “If you want different results you have to do things differently.” Center leaders hold onto the status quo whereas Edge leaders constantly push the envelope of what is possible – pushing to the future edge.

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Leadership is a topic that has been researched, talked about, written about, training sessions built around, and endless models developed – yet it is also one of the most challenging issues in most firms today. Over my career, I have worked and consulted with leaders of all shapes and styles and firms that experienced varying degrees of success. Based on working with hundreds of companies, my conclusions – and two of the primary reasons that drove me to write my book – are that in many cases, firms are performing below their capabilities and every firm has the potential to reach higher levels of performance if and when leadership moves from the center to the EDGE. Edge leaders want to be at the top of the pack when it comes to all metrics that matter whereas center leaders are content to remain average.
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How to Get Organization Minutes in Order

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A 34-point checklist.

By Ed Mendlowitz
77 Ways to Wow! The Checklist Handbook for Advisory Services.

Corporate, LLC, partnership and not-for-profit organizations are usually required to have minutes memorializing certain actions taken by the board of directors or governing body. Yet, many do not either because it has never been done, is a bother, is considered not necessary or overlooked through inaction or unawareness.

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However, it is something that should be done as a best practice, as recognition that there are non-active stakeholders who need transparency, or as tangible evidence that the actions recorded took place timely. In some instances, the IRS looks for minutes as a symbol that the affairs were handled on a businesslike basis or were not one-sided “secret” actions by those in control.
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How Smart Firms Handle DEI | Accounting Influencers

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Accounting leaders face pressure to choose a path that could reshape talent pipelines and firm culture for years to come.

Sponsored by “It’s NOT Just the Numbers: How to Move Beyond the Numbers and Deliver REAL Value for Your Clients.”
by Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead. See Today’s Special Offer

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Accounting Influencers
With Rob Brown

Deloitte’s decision to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program for 173,000 U.S. employees is sending shockwaves through the accounting profession, exposing deep divisions on a global scale and forcing firm leaders to weigh politics against talent priorities.

The move—ending DEI goals, disbanding related departments, eliminating annual reporting, and ordering staff to remove pronouns from email signatures—came just hours before Deloitte UK issued a memo affirming its commitment to DEI.

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