Your accounting team is made of talented and experienced individuals, many of whom have the potential to be great team leaders. And, as a manager of your firm, you are in a unique position to cultivate your staff’s talents and help them develop in their careers. But transforming your accountants into leadership roles will not only increase their odds for success — it will also increase your firm’s health. So how can you navigate such a significant shift? 

From Accounting Work to Team Leaders: What Changes?

The traditional role that your accountants fill is all about technical expertise — and much of their work can be completed alone. When you want to transform your accounting staff into team leaders, one of the most notable changes will be communication. Your team members must learn how to go from doing solitary work to collaborating. They will also have to learn to look at decision-making through the lens of meeting your firm’s overall goals. 

Making the Transition

  • Focus on Training and Development: Your accountants already have the technical skills to complete their typical work. But they may need to undertake additional training programs to develop their communication and management skills. 
  • Start Small: It’s probably not the best idea to start with a huge project. Start small instead, with more manageable projects that have more oversight. 
  • Give Encouragement: Creating an atmosphere where everyone feels that their ideas are valued is essential. You want your team members to feel a strong sense of ownership over their projects and feel empowered to represent your company.
  • Provide Consistent Feedback: No one gets everything right on the first try. As your team members are transitioning into leadership roles, it’s important to give them feedback. You should also encourage them to solicit feedback from those they are leading. 
  • Set the Example: As the manager of your firm, your team is going to follow your lead. They’ll take cues from the way that you conduct yourself. Being a good leader is, at the end of the day, the best way to inspire good leadership in others!

Having strong leadership throughout your accounting team can lead to increased motivation, stronger collaboration, and your firm’s continued success as you all strive toward tangible long-term goals. Due to the nature of their work, accountants already have many of the skills necessary to create great leaders. Organization skills, the ability to think strategically about problems and overcome them, and a strong sense of ethical responsibilities are just some of the many skills that are easily transferable into this new role. All it takes is a few extra steps to get your team to the next level!