Your team is waiting for you to lead.

• Author: Morris, Daniel D.

"Companies must put their people first * Yes, even before their customers. There. Now I've said it. I know it's controversial. It makes most people nervous just to hear it, but it works. Of course our clients are the reason for our existence as a company, but to serve our clients best we have to put our people first. We're not saying choose your people over your customers. We're saying focus on your people because of your customers." -- Hal Rosenbluth, CEO, Rosenbluth Travel, from his book, "The Customer Comes Second"

CAN YOU LEAD ANTS TO A PICNIC?

It's easy to identify the attributes of a great leader, but it's much more difficult to be one. You may be so technically competent at your job that you make heads spin all around you, but you still may be unable to lead ants to a picnic, let alone develop a superior vision that your team would actively follow.

In his book "The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership," University of Southern California President Steven Sample concludes that of all the different kinds of human capital, leaders may be the most rare and precious.

Rare and precious indeed! With leaders, the world can be changed. Without them, you might as well be drifting on a rudderless craft.

Leadership is an art, not a science. It's about moving people from where they are--in their comfort zones--to where they ought to be.

Leadership is soft and mushy. It requires people to deal with people--and people are messy. True leaders understand that people are not resources, especially in a knowledge economy.

Leading firms generate a buzz about them based upon the way they invest in their people. Their leaders are focused on developing, enhancing, improving and facilitating their people.

These focused firm leaders know that when they take care of their people, their people will take care of their business.

INVEST IN YOUR BALANCE SHEET

The No. 1 issue for CPA firms, according to all Management of Accounting Practice surveys, remains the acquisition and retention of people. This is as much a marketing issue as it is one of firm leadership.

Why should someone invest in your firm? What return on investment does your firm provide?

If you don't have solid answers to these questions you need to institute an effective leadership program.

Do you want to attract the best talent and enhance the quality of your professional and personal lives? Then risk leaving your comfort zone and risk being presented with your personality flaws to make your company a better place.

Being a leader means putting yourself and your skills on the line for everyone to see. By so doing, you-and those around you--may realize it is your leadership skills that need improving, but you're showing the...