Follow the leaders: a guide for CalCPA's--and the profession's--future leaders.

• Author: Rimerman, Thomas W.

editor's note:

One of CalCPA Chair Chris Yahng's initiatives is the CalCPA Leadership Institute, a high-level, five-day program that teaches members the skills necessary to become CalCPA's and the profession's future leaders. The class of 2006 began its training in January to great acclaim.

In connection with this, Yahng invited Tom Rimerman to a special fall meeting of CalCPA Council to share his insights on leadership.

Rimerman knows a thing or two about leadership. He served as CalCPA president from 1982-83 and was AICPA chairman from 1990-91. What's more, he served on the Financial Accounting Standards Board as the AICPA's FAF member, and represented the United States on the governing council of the International Federation of Accountants--the only individual to hold both of these prestigious positions.

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In his introduction, Yahng mentioned the professional accolades Rimerman has received, including CalCPA's Distinguished Service Award in 1992 and the AICPA Gold Medal for Distinguished Service in 2001.

Rimerman began his career at Menlo Park-based Frank, Rimerman + Co., which was then a two-person firm. For more than 30 years, he served as the firm's managing partner. Through extraordinary growth, Frank, Rimerman + Co. became the largest California-based firm and one of the 50 largest firms in the country.

After Rimerman's introduction, he walked to the lectern and without a word, played a recording of La Marseillaise, motioning everyone to stand. As they did, council members exchanged puzzled glances. As the music faded, Tom began:

Before you think I've lost my mind, let me explain. In July 1990, I attended the annual meeting of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. For the first time in its more than 100-year history--and contrary to the wishes of almost everyone at the Institute--the meeting was held outside of the British Isles.

Jock Worsley, the incoming president, insisted the meeting be held in Brussels to focus members on the future and the significance of the new European community. He even invited representatives of other countries to attend, and I represented the United States.

Worsley began the meeting by asking everyone to stand as La Marseillaise was played in honor of the attending French representative on Bastille Day. Wow! I was impressed. Think about that: changing a 110-year meeting tradition and then honoring the national holiday of the French--England's adversaries for more than 900 years. What a way to communicate a new vision to your organization.

I don't remember all of what Worsley said that day, but I remember the message. And I hope in your future leadership roles you will remember the music and my message--break free of the status quo and be as adventurous, experimental and as willing to take risks as Jock Worsley.

EXPERIENCE TEACHES

First, I'd like to congratulate Chris Yahng on the Leadership Institute. I think it's a great idea, in fact, I instituted a similar program when I was CalCPA president.

It's a pleasure to be here with the CalCPA leadership, and all of you in this room are leaders--if you weren't, you wouldn't be here. You might have different roles--committee chair, chapter president, CalCPA chair or first vice chair--in fact, probably most of the next 10 or so CalCPA chairs are here; they just don't know it yet.

Since I was CalCPA president, all of you are my successors. And the title of this presentation is "What I Always Wanted to Tell My Successors." I could do that in one sentence by citing part of Murphy's Law: "You can't win, you can't break even and you...