Quality leadership that grows your accounting practice isn’t about pushing your team to work harder. While it may sound counterintuitive, modeling a healthy, balanced life is what actually moves the needle. In this episode of The Accountant’s Flight Plan, Rob Dube opens the conversation by emphasizing that when leaders prioritize wellness, the team will follow suit. This results in less burnout, fewer mistakes, better client service, and a more harmonious work environment. If you are happy in your work and life, your team and CPA practice will thrive as well.
Rob Dube, author of the book The Ten Disciplines and co-host of the Shed and Shine podcast, helps entrepreneurs establish a foundation of clarity, purpose, and impact. Brannon and Rob discuss the EO concept of the “two mountains”. The first mountain an entrepreneur might climb is the one of career success and financial security. The second mountain is the search for deeper meaning and personal fulfillment. Many business owners realize after reaching the first peak that true personal satisfaction comes from aligning their work with what makes their lives feel fulfilling and meaningful.
Self-awareness and mindfulness can be key tools for finding this fulfillment and meeting the demands of entrepreneurship. Rob stresses the importance of tuning into the way you feel to recognize stress or misalignment early on before it turns into burnout. He also discusses the unique challenges of highly driven individuals, noting that while drive can propel success, it needs to be balanced out with intentional rest. Accountants are not known for their restful jobs so being intentional here is all the more challenging. The alternative of finding this balance and reducing owner hours is often a desire to sell the CPA practice for relief, but your firm will be more valuable and more fun to own if you avoid burnout long before you are ready to exit.
Brannon and Rob also discuss the importance of vulnerability and authentic connection to maintain effective leadership. By sharing your personal story with partners, employees, and close peers, leaders build trust and authentic engagement. Some practical ways to start doing this could be asking for feedback from your close friends and peers on what your strengths and weaknesses are, allowing leaders to shed their “armor”. This can lead to more self-awareness and foster deeper relationships and a higher-energy workplace.
To conclude, Rob and Brannon discuss the importance of setting boundaries to prioritize high-value work. The effectiveness of avoiding hustle culture, taking time off, and delegating lower-value tasks ensures that leaders remain energized for what truly matters. By focusing on purpose, energy, and mindful action, leaders can build resilient teams, sustainable practices, and more fulfilling lives.
Timestamp List: Key Sections:
- 02:00 – Introducing The Ten Disciplines
- 04:00 – Climbing the Two Mountains: Achievement vs. Meaning
- 07:00 – Chaos vs. Awareness: Tuning Into Your Body
- 11:00 – Understanding the Driven Personality
- 14:00 – Vulnerability and the Inner Story
- 21:00 – Practical Steps to Peel Back the Armor
- 26:00 – Combatting Hustle Culture and Setting Boundaries
- 31:00 – Delegating and Avoiding Low-Value Work
- 37:00 – Resources and Key Takeaways
