Next Starts Now for CPAs (650 words)

There’s a pattern I keep noticing in my work with professionals, and once you see it, it’s hard to ignore.

When things feel uncertain or fast-moving, capable people tend to respond by taking on more.

In accounting, this often shows up as staying late to “just get it done,” double-checking work that isn’t technically yours, or stepping in to smooth over client concerns before they escalate. It looks like commitment. Sometimes it even looks like leadership.

But underneath it, something else is usually happening: people quietly absorbing work and expectations that were never meant to be theirs alone.

Over time, this creates a familiar cycle—especially in firms and finance teams navigating constant change:

• Work expands, but authority doesn’t
• Decisions slow down instead of speeding up
• Frustration rises, even among people who care deeply about doing good work

What makes this pattern tricky is that it’s rarely intentional. It’s the result of unclear roles, ongoing regulatory shifts, evolving technology, talent shortages, and the very real pressure CPAs face to be accurate, responsive, and indispensable—all at the same time.

And right now, the pace of change isn’t slowing down.

New standards. New tools. New expectations around advisory services, flexibility, and leadership.

Why Change Triggers Panic (Even for High Performers)

Most professionals don’t struggle with change because they lack skill or resilience. They struggle because change disrupts three things people rely on to feel steady at work:

1. Clarity – What matters most right now?
2. Control – What can I actually influence?
3. Capacity – How much can I realistically take on?

When those three get blurry, panic creeps in—not as emotion, but as behavior. People over-function. They step in too quickly. They fill gaps that were never meant to be permanent.

In the short term, this keeps things moving. In the long term, it creates burnout, bottlenecks, and leadership frustration.

Navigating change effectively isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about responding differently.

From Panic to Purpose: A Practical Shift

One of the most effective ways I’ve seen CPAs lead through change is by shifting from reaction to intention—without waiting for a new title or formal authority.

That shift starts with three practical questions:

These questions don’t eliminate change. They help you engage it with purpose instead of panic.

The Next Kind of Leadership CPAs Need

The next phase of the profession will reward technical expertise—but it will require something more.

It will require leaders at every level who can:

• Stay grounded when information is incomplete
• Make decisions without carrying everything alone
• Create clarity for others, even while navigating uncertainty themselves

That kind of leadership doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from choosing where your effort actually creates value.

“Next starts now” isn’t a call to hustle harder. It’s an invitation to lead more intentionally—to stop absorbing chaos and start shaping what comes next.

Change is here. The question isn’t whether you can handle it.

The question is how you’ll choose to show up when the rules keep moving—and the future of the profession is being written in real time.

Reprinted with permission.