Woman to Watch: "my personal legacy: Watching young people gain a true passion and desire to be involved in a profession that has served me well.".

• Position: Finalentry - Interview

At the 2008 Women's Leadership Forum CalCPA presented its inaugural Woman to Watch awards to these outstanding experienced and emerging leaders: Krisline Caratan, Moss Adams LLP; Marie Ebersbaeher, CB1Z & Mayer Hoffman McCann P.G.; Geralyne Mahoney, Burr Pilger & Mayer; Natalie Quan, Berger/Lewis Accountancy Corp.; and Kristinc Strorncycr. Rothstein Kass. Alter the event, Caratan shared some of her leadership secrets with California CPA.

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What does it take to be a good leader?

Patience, perseverance, persistence and respect. To use an old saying, "respect is earned." So too is leadership. Without respect, one cannot be a leader. Patience is essential, as no one will do things precisely the way you would. An effective leader needs to be patient and welcome individuality from those they lead. Perseverance and persistence are paramount for woman leaders since many employ a style that is different from the historically male leadership style in our profession.

Did/do you have a mentor?

My first manager was my first mentor. I remember what he said to me in my first few months: "Public accounting is 10 percent technical and 90 percent schmooze, but to get the ability to be 90 percent schmooze you need to be 1,000 percent technical in your early years." Today 1 am fortunate to count many of my partners as mentors. They provide me a great deal of insight on firm matters that I may overlook.

What do you find is essential to being a good mentor?

I am a much better mentor than coach. Mentoring allows for a more free-form relationship and is founded on trust. Coaching, at least at Moss Adams, is much more structured. Being a good listener is essential to mentoring. To ensure that the mentor/mentee relationship is not a dumping ground for complaints, action-oriented solutions are critical. 1 believe that empowering the individuals I mentor allows them to find opportunity for growth, and therefore take ownership in the best interest of the firm. Mentoring allows me to provide them honest feedback, allowing them to be challenged and supported versus judged.

When you entered the profession, women were a minority. How do you think that shaped your experience?

From the moment I interviewed in fall 1973. it was clear it wasn't going to be an easy road. 1 went to a predominately male school and majored in almost an exclusively male major. "Equal employment" was not part of the business culture yet, so when I interviewed, the questions...