The numbers make the story clear: mentions of uncertainty in business publications are now twice as high as they were during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Federal Reserve’s World Uncertainty Index.
Yet many accounting leaders are still relying on the same strategies they used five years ago—strategies that no longer work.
In today’s environment, thriving doesn’t come from having the best technical skills or the longest experience. The leaders who succeed are the ones who’ve developed four key people-focused skills that bring stability in uncertain times.
Why Are New Skills Necessary for Leadership in Accountancy?
We’re not dealing with temporary disruption anymore. This is the new operating environment, and it’s being shaped by forces that aren’t going away anytime soon:
- Artificial intelligence is reshaping how accountancy moves
- Gen Z professionals are demanding meaning from their work and flexibility in their working
- Regulatory complexities continue to multiply (MTD, AML, AI governance)
- Economic volatility keeps clients on edge
The human cost of this chaos is staggering. In the UK, just 10% of employees report feeling engaged at work, compared to a 21% global average. That means nine out of ten people in your office are either checked out or actively looking for the exit.
For accounting firms, this creates a vicious cycle. Disengaged teams deliver mediocre work, which frustrates clients, which increases pressure on staff, which drives more people away.
What Are Accountants Missing
Most accounting leaders think the solution is better systems or more technical training.
But the real issue is not competence. Your team knows how to do the work. What’s missing is connection, clarity, and confidence in leadership.
A recent research found that 59% of C-suite leaders are concerned about finding suitable talent for emerging roles. But dig deeper and the problem isn’t talent scarcity. It’s that traditional command-and-control leadership styles are failing in an environment where adaptability and human connection matter more than hierarchical authority.
The Four Essential Skills to Rejuvenate Leadership in Accountancy Firms
Technical expertise is not enough anymore. To lead effectively in today’s accounting profession, accountants need a new playbook, one that’s built on adaptability, empathy, and forward-looking leadership.
Skill 1: Master the Art of Curious Leadership
Stop being the person with all the answers. Start being the person with the best questions.
There’s a simple test for this: in your next team meeting, keep track of how many statements you make versus questions you ask. If statements outweigh questions, you’re doing it wrong. The best leaders aim for twice as many questions as statements.
Instead of saying “Here’s what we need to do,” try, “What do you think would work best here?”
Curiosity beats certainty every time, especially when you’re navigating uncharted territory. Your team doesn’t need you to have all the answers to problems that didn’t exist two years ago. They need you to help them think through solutions together.
Skill 2: Show Up with Authentic Presence
Your words matter, but your body language tells the real story. Over half of all communication is non-verbal and if your physical presence contradicts what you’re saying, people will believe what they see, not what they hear.
Here’s what just being there vs showing up looks like:
In an age of remote work and digital communication, authentic presence becomes even more powerful. When you’re truly present with someone, they feel it. When you’re going through the motions, they feel that too.
Practice this. In your next one-on-one meeting, focus entirely on the person in front of you. No phone, no laptop, no mental rehearsal of your next appointment. Just listen, really listen and notice how the dynamic changes.
Skill 3: Embrace Strategic Experimentation
Accountants are trained to be risk-averse. We prefer certainty, predictability and proven approaches. But in a chaotic environment, the biggest risk is clinging to old patterns.
Strategic experimentation isn’t about making reckless bets. It’s about making small, reversible changes that help you learn and adapt quickly. That could mean trying a new client communication style, testing a different meeting format, piloting a fresh project management tool or adjusting the way your team checks in.
The key is to approach it systematically:
- Set clear parameters
- Define what success looks like
- Commit to learning from both wins and setbacks
- Keep the stakes low so changes can be easily reversed
When you model experimentation, you give your team permission to try new approaches too. This creates a culture where adaptation becomes normal instead of threatening.
Skill 4: Connect Human-to-Human
In a profession that’s starting to get dominated by AI, the most valuable leadership skill is becoming more human.
This means leading with empathy, not just efficiency. It means understanding that behind every performance issue, difficult client or team conflict are human beings dealing with human challenges.
Here’s what practical human connection looks like:
- Remembering what matters to your people outside of work
- Checking in on how someone is handling a difficult client situation
- Acknowledging the work’s emotional impact
- Addressing issues directly rather than pretending they don’t exist until someone reports
For many accounting leaders, this feels uncomfortable. We’re more comfortable talking about deadlines and deliverables than feelings and fears. But here’s the business case: teams with higher emotional connection show 21% better profitability and 12% better customer engagement.
Start small. In your next team meeting, ask one question that’s not about work. “How are you feeling about the things happening in the country? ” or “What’s one thing that would make your work more better right now?”
Conclusion
Uncertainty is no longer a passing storm, it’s the new climate of business. Market volatility, rapid technology shifts and evolving workforce expectations aren’t going away.
The leaders who rise above won’t waste energy resisting this reality. Instead, they’ll embrace it and anchor their teams through it.
Their edge comes from four human-centred capabilities: curiosity, authenticity, experimentation, and connection. These aren’t abstract leadership ideals. They’re the practical tools that keep organisations steady when everything else is in motion.
A key part of good leadership in accountancy is streamlining workflows and enhancing client communication. For this, you can try out FigsFlow.
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