On a recent call  with partners from several global accounting firms we discussed the realities of leadership right now. The conversation was honest, practical, and strikingly consistent across geographies.

The core message: the shape of the firm, the shape of leadership, and the shape of the workforce are all changing simultaneously.

Leadership Now Means Managing Constant ‘Pivot’

One phrase came up repeatedly: “We don’t feel like we’re steering a ship anymore — we’re constantly adjusting the sails.”

Partners described an environment defined by:

• Continuous technology change
• Rapid shifts in recruitment needs
• Increasingly global delivery models
• Clients expecting faster, smarter, more proactive service

Leaders are no longer managing stability. They are managing permanent transition.

This has profound implications for how leaders think, prioritise, and allocate time – and heralds a change – we believe, in the kind of people that can manage and lead practices. Gone are the days that a ‘steady pair of safe hands’ is what you need at the helm. That firm will be bought by one of the aggregators.

Recruitment Has Changed Faster Than Firms Have

Perhaps the strongest theme was recruitment uncertainty. Firms are asking fundamental questions:

• Who should we actually be hiring now?
• Are we still recruiting for the past?
• What skills will matter in five years?

There was broad agreement that the “future accountant” profile is evolving quickly. Key capabilities mentioned repeatedly:

• Curiosity
• Adaptability
• Critical thinking
• Comfort with technology
• Communication and presentation skills

Technical competence is no longer enough. Firms are increasingly searching for curious knowledge workers, not just technical specialists.

AI and Technology: Keeping ‘Humans in the Loop’

This is critically important and is being repeatedly highlighted by those such as Eric Schmidt and others at the forefront of AI. The challenge is no longer whether to adopt AI technology — it is:

• How to lead teams through ever changing adoption
• How to answer the question “where are we going” with clarity
• How to train teams in critical thinking

Partners highlighted a tension:

• Workloads remain high
• Work itself is changing dramatically

Leaders must now guide teams through transformation while still delivering results.

The Firm Is Becoming “Diamond-Shaped”

Several partners described the workforce shifting from a traditional pyramid to a diamond shape:

• Fewer junior roles
• More experienced specialists
• Greater use of outsourcing and offshoring
• More work augmented by AI

This raises new leadership challenges:

• What work stays in-house?
• How do you maintain culture in distributed teams?
• How do you create belonging in global delivery models?

Thinking Space Is Becoming Scarce

A particularly striking insight: leaders feel they lack time to think. Office attendance is increasingly about collaboration rather than production. This creates tension between:

• Deep work
• Collaboration
• Leadership responsibilities

Firms are discovering that productivity now looks different — and leaders must redefine what “output” really means.

Creating ‘Advisory Councils’

“Graduates don’t have the right skills” and “How can we choose the best software as it is constantly evolving?” are two prevalent themes at the moment and one firm described a powerful approach: building Advisory Councils’. These are working parties who get direct access to the people who can shape the future output you need:

• Technology vendors
• Universities
• Education providers

Rather than reacting to change, they are helping shape it by creating space for a dialogue with these 3rd parties and shaping future outcomes.

Curiosity may have killed the cat but it’s going to lead firms of the future

Across every discussion, one word appeared again and again:

Curiosity

Curiosity to question.
Curiosity to adapt.
Curiosity to challenge long-standing assumptions.

The future of professional services will not be determined solely by technology.
It will be determined by leaders who can guide people through ambiguity — and build firms that are designed to keep learning.

If you want to take some better steps to achieving this – email paul@thegrogroup.com