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It has been said that difficult times do not build character… it reveals it. During these unique times of economic uncertainty, many organizational leaders may be struggling for answers. Here are five leadership guidelines to follow during challenging times:
Integrity - is the essence of everything successful and that is never truer than during difficult times. Your team needs to trust what you say.
I came to McKonly & Asbury as a young staff accountant because one of the co-founders took a flyer on a kid who was a marginal student from a good school, who exhibited the kind of tenacity and work ethic he himself had learned growing up on a farm. Clarence Asbury taught me a lot about accounting, and was always a tough, but fair task master, making sure we served the firm’s clients well.
After over thirty four years in public accounting with the firm he co-founded, Clarence officially retired in 2007. But I think our founding partner is as busy now as he ever was, and he continues to leave his stamp on the culture of McKonly & Asbury the same way he did as its managing partner – by serving others. He leaves a legacy of community service that will shape the culture of our firm for generations to come. Clarence has made service to others a central component of his professional life.
Continue reading "Learning about Servant Leadership from My Boss – Clarence Asbury" »
Today I spent the morning at Susquehanna University as part of the Executive in Residence program. I was able to share challenges and opportunities with the many accounting students in the room. It was interesting to hear about the concerns they have related to finding jobs in the current economic downturn. I tried to assure them that top students who bring something extra (like a double major or a minor in Communications or Information Systems) will always be in demand. It is always exciting interacting with young people, as they have hope to change the world. I hope I was able to add value and give them inspiration that Accounting is still a great field of study. I tell students all the time that , “Accounting is the language of business.” If you want to learn about business, first learn about Accounting!
I’ve been trying to profile companies that we work with that “get it” when it comes to leadership, employee engagement, and business success. Although McKonly & Asbury doesn’t audit publicly traded companies, we do have a number of publicly traded companies that we serve with our tax and consulting segments. Something I have learned is that you don’t have to be a small, privately-held company to understand the value of building a culture of service. A great example of that is Hersha Hospitality.
Today I spoke at Messiah College to about 150 high school students. These young people were from local high schools and had an interest in accounting as a career. This event is put together by the Pennsylvania Institute of CPA’s and I was one of the presenters sharing why accounting is a great career choice. I get to present to another large group of high school students next week at Elizabethtown College.
I enjoy getting the opportunity to explain to young people, that “Accounting is the Language of Business.” Once a person gets their CPA, they can do so many things related to business (start a company, become a CFO or Controller, move into operations, perform management consulting…). I feel so blessed to have chosen accounting as my major and also fortunate to have chosen to work in public accounting!
In his renowned book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Dr. Stephen Covey proposes a principle-centered approach for addressing such challenges. The Seven Habits are not a “quick fix,” but a long-term commitment to universal principles with the potential to maximize personal and professional success and happiness. The Seven Habits is fascinating, comprehensive, and thoroughly uplifting book. Today's complex and interdependent world is plagued by a myriad of common human challenges. These include fear, insecurity, blame, hopelessness, selfishness, conflict, personal stagnation, and a lack of life balance. Permeating all aspects of life, these challenges have a profound impact on personal and professional effectiveness.
Continue reading "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" »
Charlie had a great quote, ‘You are the same today as you’ll be in five years, except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read.” If you regularly read my blog, you know how much I loved and respected Charlie “Tremendous” Jones. He has written and published tons of great leadership books. He has spoken to many audiences over his many years, encouraging them to live a “Tremendous” life. Well, yesterday Charlie passed from this earth and moved on to a better one. He was 80 years old and still loved life. He will be missed, but his impact on others will continue for long time.
Recently the Wall Street Journal ran a story on the 60 Best Accounting Firms to Work for in the United States, and McKonly & Asbury made the list! This is such a humbling accomplishment for our organization and really speaks to the great employees we have attracted. You can read more about the selection process in this story.
I am so proud to be a part of this organization and believe that selecting for talent, getting the right fit, having great managers will lead to engaged employees. Engaged employees will ultimately lead to what every organization seeks…happy customers and growth of the organization!!
This morning I attended the Lancaster Bible College Leadership Business Conference. Many good speakers offered some good content on Servant Leadership. One of the break-out sessions was taught by Dr. Richard Swenson on the topic of The Overload Syndrome. I thought he had excellent material and so I wanted to share.
He started by stating we have a new epidemic in America. We are working more and sleeping less (in fact we sleep 3 hours less than 100 years ago). This is all in the name of progress (more and more; faster and faster).
This morning I attended The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s Excellence Exchange. These breakfast meetings are an excellent venue to share ideas, best practices, and hear from a community business leader.
This morning the speaker was Luke Kempski, President of JPL. JPL has won many awards (Fastest 50 Growing, Best Places to Work…) and was/is a very successful organization, when 2 years ago it set out on a course of change. Luke set forth the course of action they took in order to continue to be a great organization. I thought his comments were insightful and I decided to share.
Continue reading "JPL: Provoking Change in a Successful Organization" »
