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An Accountant or a Leader - but rarely both
Written by: Paul BridleArticle Overview: Sometimes I think that the world is divided between the people who make things happen and those that account for it. I know it is an over simplification but all the personality assessments, type indicators and their like break us into four types: The Pragmatic, the Analytical, the Amiable and the Extrovert.
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Free Download - An Accountant or a Leader - but rarely both By Paul Bridle |
An Accountant or a Leader - but rarely both
Analytical personality types make
great accountants. Conscious of
the minute details and focused on ensuring that everything is accounted for. They check and re-check everything; analysing
all possible outcomes; each possible permeation; things that can go wrong; things
that can go right... And basically,
because of this attitude they appear totally boring to the rest of us.
Unkind, unfair, unjustified! Maybe - but only
just. The Analytical can’t be two
things at once. They are unable to be an extrovert and an analytical, which
means they don’t make good sales people.
In addition to this damning description, they aren’t good at getting
people fired up or excited, which means they tend not to be good leaders. It is simply not part of who they are,
their individual make-up, the DNA of their personality.
2+2 is always 4
Ultimately accountants are too
focused on the details to be fun or dynamic. One and one is two, and that is that, the question is
answered and that is all there is to it.
Of course, the exception proves the rule and the occasional accountant
can make two plus two equal 22 if they position it right on the page, but that
glimmer is as far as they go. Some
people will argue that the best accountants get creative with tax issues but
the truth is far from creativity, they are merely following or exploiting a set
of specific rules.
At this stage you could be forgiven
for thinking that I am against Accountants or analytical people. Far from it - in fact the world would
be a terrible place if the Analyticals and Accountants in particular were not
there filling a very important role.
We need people that will focus on the detail and follow through to the
end when the Extrovert and Amiable have got bored and moved on. And most of all we need them because
their absence would mean no grounding to ensure liquidity within organisations.
Mechanics don’t fly the planes
In the same way that I would not
employ an extrovert to be an accountant, an accountant does not make a good
salesman or leader for that matter.
When I hear that the CEO has been fired and an accountant is put in
charge of a company that is in trouble or on the verge of bankruptcy, I groan
(and dump any stock I might have left) because I hear the last nail of the
coffin being driven home.
I can hear you cry out in response:
“The company is failing because the CEO has been negligent and not heeded the
advice of the CFO!” That is a
strong argument and might be true in many cases but that does not mean the
ideal replacement is the CFO. Imagine
an aeroplane. The mechanic that
maintains the engine is not necessarily going to be the best pilot. He can tell the pilot how to fly to get
the best out of the engine but that does not mean he knows how to fly.
Know your place
Accountants hold a very valuable
position and are key to ensuring that a business stays healthy, a fact that should
never be underestimated and always valued. The accountant should bring the balance to the leader, much
like the mechanic balances the pilot.
The leader and pilot rarely see everything in logical figures, which is
why they see the opportunities and the best way to make the most of the
situation. Typically an accountant
is unable to see anything from a different perspective unless it involves facts
based on logic. The Leader on the
other hand is required to see the intangibles that simply do not make sense at
face value. The leader sees the
human perspective and the need to think beyond the simple equations of people
pitching up and doing what is expected of them.
When seeking to expand a business,
the leader will see the opportunities and the accountant will bring the leader
down to earth to face the realities.
One without the other is like a pilot without a mechanic. The very best companies are those that have
the perfect balance of a Pragmatic CEO and an Analytical Accountant/CFO and
both value the input of the other.
When both see each other as a vehicle to understand things from a
different perspective you have a force to be reckoned with.
May we always have the balance of
good accountants and good leaders.
May we never fall into the trap of thinking that one is more important
than the other. They are both as
valuable as the heart and lungs are to the human body.
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About the Author: Paul Bridle RSS for Paul's articles - Visit Paul's website Paul is a Leadership Methodologist. For almost two decades he has studied effective organizations and the people that lead them. As a result of his research around the world, he is called upon to assist both private as well as public organizations by acting as an advisor or consultant on a range of projects relating to management and leadership issues or development. Paul is a Faculty Member of the Institute of Management Studies, Fellow of the Institute of Business Consulting, Fellow of the Professional Speaker Association and a Certified Speaking Professional. Paul was also voted 12th in The Top 30 Most Influential Leadership Gurus in the World in 2007 & 2008 for his contribution to Leadership development. International Business Speaker, Author, Facilitator, Advisor and Consultant Click here to visit Paul's website Does Age Matter Recognizing Uncertainty The Empire Strikes Back An Accountant or a Leader but rarely both When leadership is not enough |
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