Lessons in Leadership
Date: August 12, 2015
Name: Lessons in Leadership
Presenters: Arnold Singh, Victor Wong, and Amanda Collinge
Career paths from successful accounting professionals can be different in different industry. Moreover, they are distinguished by their unique leadership qualities. Leaders of Tomorrow, one of the signature programs from Vancouver Board of Trade, invites 3 successful designated accountants to share their perspective of leadership qualities in their career paths. Leaders will learn many of their great lessons takeaway from their leadership journeys. Moreover, they will learn the benefit and impact from having the Certified Professional Accountant designation for their careers.
Lessons from Arnold Singh
Arnold Singh is one of the partners in KPMG firm. Singh started his career in KPMG after the graduation from Simon Fraser University. His original path was to move on to different industry after he received his CA designation from the Institute of Chartered Accountant of British Columbia. However, his experience in the firm created his passion, which leaded to his path to become the partner of KPMG.
Singh mentions accounting is not boring, but exciting. Many accountants in KPMG involve with charity events to help out with the community services. In fact, it is more than just debits and credits.
Singh shares a statistic that by 2028, 75% of workforce will be millennials. They tend to move from one organization to another. They pursue their career paths and explore different career options. Moreover, flexibility is one of the main fundamental traits for millennials. CPA designation meets the needs of the changing workforce.
“CPA is open based on your imagination”
Singh shares 6 leadership lessons from his career experience.
- Check the ego
- Take the hit for the team
- Prove that it is important to genuinely think of others by the actions
- Know when to dial it back
- Be honest and admit when mistakes are made
- Do not be afraid to deliver the tough messages
Singh believes it is easy to train someone with talent, but it is difficult to train someone the right attitude. Trust always connect with leadership and actions speak louder than words. Singh wants leaders to remember that not everyone share the same goals and it is important to know when to step back. In addition, tough messages can lead to royal relationship.
“It is not about how many follower you have, but how many leaders you create”
Lessons from Victor Wong
Victor Wong is one of the senior Associate from MNP. After the graduation from Simon Fraser University, he began to pursue Certified Management Accountant and Chartered Business Valuator designations. Wong has the passion to be involve with community services, such as CPA Vancouver Chapter, SFU mentor-in-business program, and junior achievements.
Wong provides business valuation services for business enterprises. He focuses on transition, litigation support and fair value accounting support. In leadership, Wong believes CPA designation can provide four major qualities: employability, stability, transferability and growth opportunity.
Wong was originally a Financial Banker, but in his career, he realized the benefit of accounting can impact more people he can help. He decided to expand his career in the field of accounting. Wong realizes everybody needs an accountant. The skill can be move or transfer to different industries. Moreover, CPA designation opens many doors and give leaders the right foundation.
Wong emphasizes CPA has expanded his career even further than he can imagine. CPA has helped him develop the right knowledge of hard skill and soft skills. The recognition and networking opportunities help him explore new advancement in different specialist fields. CPA gives him the confidence and platform to pursue his career.
CPA can be competitive. Wong believes it is difficult to find the right interest within the accounting because there are many options CPA can provide. CPA creates connection to other career paths because CPA provides the right fundamental skill set for successful leaders.
Lessons from Amanda Collinge
Amanda Collinge is one of the project manager at Raymond James Ltd. Collinge has an unconventional career path. She is a broadcaster, accountant, consultant, project manager and financial educator. Her experiences from different job roles makes her unique and standout. Moreover, her skill sets can interchange from one industry to another, which makes her valuable in any industry.
Collinge mentions she choose to pursue CPA is because of variety of career path opportunities CPA can provide for her. CPA gives her the flexibility of working while learning and applying knowledge. The ethics and standards from CPA have shaped her the type of leader that people can trust.
Collinge believes the only way to move up is to move to another company. It is important to seek someone in the industry that can bring other people up the ladder. Collinge wants leaders to know that leverage the skill set by seeing a need and addressing is important in any industry.
“Be the leader you want to have”
There are many advantages from changing companies in the career. Leaders can mitigate the issue of the seniority and office politics. There are more possibilities open up in the market than internally in one company. In addition, it is an opportunity to take the lessons learned and strengths from previous companies and leverage it at another firm.
Collinge believes leaders should not leave the company when there is a right mentor at the workplace. The corporate culture fit can be the main factor as well. Also, the succession plan in place can fulfil leaders’ personal goals.
“Culture fit is game changer”
Leaders need to discover who can bring them up in the company. By establishing the mentor relationship, leaders can learn from them and seek new opportunities in the company. Collinge indicates by leveraging the skills, leaders can solve problem, create efficiency, streamline process, add value to clients and impact the community in a positive way.
Leaders to know who they look up to and who they work well with. Leaders can discover other people’s management and communication styles. They can develop strengths and warmth to enhance their skill sets. Furthermore, they can also emulate leadership qualities that they inspire.
The panel
Singh believes leaders need to have a mentor who can look at their perspective and not just the company. Wong believes leaders need to have the right depiction to focus on what they love. Collinge believes leaders need to have the guts to take risk with the career.
Aside from accounting, Collinge wants to be involved in the dance industry. Wong wants to be an entrepreneur and Singh wants to be a professional golfer.
Singh admires leaders who have the skill to interact with staff members. Wong admires leaders who can take the bullet for the team, and Collinge admire leaders who have the balance of strength and warmth.
The panel believes community involvement is something every leader needs to have. By giving time to help the community, leaders will learn the value of helping the less fortune.
The panel has insight of the affect from mentorship. Wong believes successful mentors will elevate the mentee to the next level of success. Singh believes successful mentors can strive with mentee with their personal agenda in a two way communication. Lastly, Collinge believes mentee needs to have that ability to absorb the guidance from mentors and execute the right actions.