Fall 2008 issue of Horizons

knowledge. commitment. value. CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS AND BUSINESS CONSULTANTS

an advisory board of past participants helps guide the group. Recently, the group selected and focused on the following topics: • Performance management, feedback and motivation • Engagement management and team building • Work/life balance • Negotiation skills and proposals For each of these topics, the LEAD program participants have selected partners and managers in the firm to be in the “hot seat” and answer personal and professional questions on the subject matter. Questions have ranged from the roles mentors have played in their development to techniques used to pull their work team back together, to the most difficult feedback they have given and how they delivered it. While the “hot seat” participant is put on the spot with some personal questions, the group finds it beneficial to hear the challenges the participant has overcome and the best practices that have helped him or her achieve success. Required reading has included books such as “Classic Drucker” by Peter F. Drucker and “The Power of Feedback” by Joseph R. Folkman and John H. Zenger. A lively group discussion on how elements from the books can be integrated into our personal and professional lives always follows. Claire Keeling, with Sort It Out Organization Consultants, recently gave a presentation on work-life balance, providing information and education focused on integrating work and personal life, including prioritizing, time management, action systems and calendar management, followed by a Q&A session. Chris Jehle, founder and director of Kansas City’s Hope Center, an organization focused on developing urban youth into leaders, spoke on his experiences of building the organization, the leadership lessons incurred, and the leadership qualities they are working to instill within the urban youth. One of the highlights of this year’s program was the opportunity for the group to travel to our Kansas City office for a two-day retreat focused on engagement management and team building. The group heard from Todd Pleimann, Kansas City office managing partner, on the expansion of RubinBrown into the Kansas City market, challenges associated with the expansion, and

the many opportunities to come as the firm continues to expand regionally. Jim Castellano, chairman, John Herber, managing partner, and Fred Kostecki, partner- in-charge of the Assurance Services Group, shared with the group how they have grown as firm leaders and the key metrics associated with firm growth and profitability in today’s market. Participants found the information that was shared to be invaluable in understanding the key role that each team member plays in the overall firm mission and grasping where the firm is heading. Outside of the formal sessions, this retreat gave the group time to bond with each other, tour the Kansas City office and experience some of the great KC barbecue and nightlife we had all heard about. Participants always agree that while the speakers and books provide excellent perspective and information on the topics, the real value in the program is achieved by the interactions with others involved in the program. This interaction ranges from the questions asked and discussions with presenters, informal conversation after the meetings on various topics, to overall relationships formed in the group. Through taking the time to personally assess one’s strengths and weaknesses and then draw from what has been learned in the LEAD program, participants are provided with excellent insight on ways to enhance their personal leadership abilities. Friendships that are developed further enhance this benefit and help to bridge gaps between service lines and industry groups, allowing participants to ultimately serve clients with a one-firm approach. It is safe to say that the current LEAD participants have gained a tremendous perspective on their personal abilities and the firm as a whole, which will no doubt serve as a great tool to becoming a future leader in the firm and community.

Questions? Contact:

Fred Kostecki, CPA Partner-in-Charge Assurance Services Group 314.290.3398 fred.kostecki@rubinbrown.com

18 ◆ fall 2008 issue