You're an accountant who's been promoted to a leadership role. How do you assert yourself?

2 Communicate effectively

Communication is key to any leadership role, but especially in accounting, where you have to deal with complex and sensitive information. You need to be able to communicate clearly, concisely, and respectfully with different audiences, such as your team members, your clients, your managers, and your regulators. You also need to be able to adapt your communication style to different situations, such as giving feedback, presenting reports, or negotiating contracts. To communicate effectively, you need to listen actively, ask questions, use appropriate language and tone, and avoid jargon and ambiguity.

3 Build relationships

As a leader, you're not only responsible for your own work, but also for the work of others. You need to build strong relationships with your team members, your clients, and your superiors, based on trust, respect, and collaboration. You need to show that you care about their needs, their goals, and their feedback. You also need to show that you're reliable, accountable, and supportive. To build relationships, you need to be approachable, empathetic, and honest. You also need to give recognition, appreciation, and constructive criticism.

4 Delegate and empower

As a leader, you can't do everything yourself. You need to delegate tasks and responsibilities to your team members, according to their skills, interests, and potential. You also need to empower them to make decisions, take risks, and learn from their mistakes. By delegating and empowering, you're not only freeing up your time and energy for more strategic and creative work, but also developing your team's capabilities and confidence. To delegate and empower, you need to set clear expectations, provide feedback and guidance, and trust your team.

5 Learn and grow

As a leader, you're not expected to know everything or be perfect. You're expected to learn from your experiences, your successes, and your failures. You're also expected to grow as a leader, by seeking feedback, taking on new challenges, and exploring new opportunities. By learning and growing, you're not only improving your skills and knowledge, but also showing your humility and curiosity. To learn and grow, you need to be open-minded, reflective, and proactive. You also need to seek mentorship, coaching, and training.