Your Future Leaders are Waiting. Are You Giving Them the Tools to Step Up?

Most firm leaders talk about succession planning. Fewer invest in leadership development early enough for it to matter. That gap between intention and action is where firms lose engagement, future capacity and, eventually, their next generation of leaders.

Accounting firms today must deal with demographic and technological shifts. Leadership development can’t wait. You need to start now, well before you’re looking for someone to step into a partner role.

Leadership can’t wait for a title change

Roughly 75% of AICPA members are eligible to retire, the number of college accounting majors is declining and the number of candidates sitting for the CPA exam decreased by 33% from 2016 to 2021. These numbers are widening the leadership gap. Firms that wait until someone is on the brink of promotion to develop their leadership skills are already too late.

Emerging leaders need technical knowledge and the ability to influence, communicate and think strategically. They build these skills through experience, feedback and reflection over time, not through a single workshop or mentorship pairing.

When you give rising professionals access to development opportunities early in their careers, they gain confidence and context for the decisions they’ll face later. They begin to see themselves as stewards of the firm's future rather than individual contributors.

You risk talent loss without a clear growth plan

A lack of visible growth opportunities is one of the primary reasons professionals leave their firms.

Organizations that strategically invest in employee development report 11% greater profitability and are twice as likely to retain their employees, according to Gallup.

In our competitive and hybrid labor market, firms can’t rely on longevity and loyalty alone. Talented people want to grow. If they don’t see how they can do that with you, they’ll find somewhere else that shows them.

Leadership development signals you’re invested in your people’s long-term success. When employees see that investment, engagement rises and turnover falls. You create a culture where future leaders can see themselves thriving for the long haul.

On-demand, practical learning makes development scalable

Many firms struggle to make leadership development consistent and scalable. Busy schedules, billable-hour pressure and varying levels of readiness often stall even the best intentions.

That’s where on-demand and cohort-based learning programs like the Boomer Knowledge Network (BKN) come in. Our programs, courses and resources combine flexibility with relevance, allowing professionals at all experience levels to learn when it fits their schedules while engaging with real-world examples from their peers.

This approach to professional development aligns with how people want to learn: short, focused and applicable. It’s development that meets them where they are and grows with them. And because it’s standardized, it allows firms to build consistent leadership competencies across teams, offices and service lines without reinventing the wheel.

Take the next step

Intentional leadership development is a business strategy—not an HR initiative. It strengthens your pipeline, protects your culture and ensures continuity during transitions. More importantly, it helps people feel valued and equipped to lead confidently.

Your future leaders are already in your firm. The question is whether you’re giving them the tools to step up.

If you’re ready to build leadership capacity across every level of your firm, join the Boomer Knowledge Network. You’ll find practical, proven resources that make development scalable, accessible and aligned with your strategic vision so you can prepare your next generation to lead.

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Do you want to provide scalable, on-demand learning opportunities for every level in your firm?

The Boomer Knowledge Network is an online learning platform designed specifically for accounting professionals who want to strengthen their leadership, technology and business acumen. Access courses, tools and community discussions that help your team grow. Join now to start developing your firm’s talent anytime, anywhere.

Apply Now

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As a Product Strategist for Boomer Consulting, Inc., Travis Davis takes the lead in overseeing the Boomer Knowledge Network (BKN), a library of resources developed by our consultants.

Travis has a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in graphic design from Kansas State University. Prior to joining BCI, he worked in product and software development as a UX/UI designer for several small- to mid-sized startups and Yahoo! Later, he was on the founding team of a successful tech startup and managed product teams at several technology companies.

With Boomer Consulting, Travis looks forward to building out the BKN and other digital products to improve our members' outcomes.