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Leaders Special Interview: Kevin Harris RSM Managing Partner (Uncut)

Published on: 11th December, 2021

In today's Leaders Special interview, Rob Brown talks to Kevin Harris, managing partner at top 10 UK accounting firm RSM, on leadership, career development and culture.

Kevin Harris is the highly driven, passionate and visionary Office Managing Partner of top 10 UK accounting firm RSM. He also chairs the local Enterprise Partnership, responsible for generating economic growth in his region. Alongside these roles, he is a Non-Executive Board member of the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce and was President last year.

Key takeaways from the full uncut interview include:

▶ A fascinating journey from qualifying accounting to top 10 firm managing partner

▶ The mindset difference between most accountants (technical advisors) and their business owner clients (entrepreneurs)

▶ What failing your accounting qualification by 1% or being made redundant can do to your mental resilience and career control

▶ What accountants need to develop if they want more influence and a voice in an accounting firm

▶ The frustrations and difficulties of working in an accounting firm with traditional partner hierarchies and structures

▶ The futility of thinking you can make everybody happy when you lead any kind of professional firm or organisation

▶ Tips for dealing with opposing views and people who want to challenge your leadership or ideas

▶ How to avoid having to play the political game with multiple stakeholders in a professional firm

▶ Striving for personal and work balance in an accounting firm leadership role, especially in a culture where hard work and long hours are expected

▶ The importance of self-awareness, mental resilience and continued learning when leading a professional firm

▶ An example of a big career risk and what can be learned from being courageous in an accounting leadership role

▶ Where drive, motivation and fulfilment come from in leading a large accounting firm

▶ Insights into how accounting firms grow and how many accountants shy away from the growth and entrepreneurial side of running a firm

▶ Whether everyone in an accounting firm should be involved in business development

▶ Why recruitment and retention of top talent is the biggest challenge in any accounting leadership role

▶ The importance of selling a vision in accountancy to attract the right kind of talent and engagement

▶ Advice to upcoming accounting firm leaders to build resilience, associating with the right people and being true to oneself.

Contact Kevin here on LinkedIn.

NOTE TO LISTENERS:

This is a full-length interview (usually 20-30 mins long) from which the highlights show earlier in the week was taken. You can listen to this on a previous episode.

Martin and Rob love to hear from the show's 7000+ listeners in 144 countries around the world. If you like the show, leave a review wherever you listen, and please recommend the show to your friends and colleagues.

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About the Podcast

Accounting Voices Podcast
Accounting Voices helps people in the accounting world stay relevant visible and vocal. Host Rob Brown interprets trends reshaping the profession and gives listeners insight to build authority influence and a stronger voice in firms and markets.
Accounting Voices, hosted by Rob Brown, helps decision makers and leaders in accounting and finance stay relevant, visible and vocal in a profession being reshaped by technology, private equity, regulation and shifting client expectations. Each episode interprets the trends disrupting accounting and finance such as AI, automation, M&A, talent and the move to advisory and translates them into practical insight that strengthens authority and influence.
Accounting Voices is also a platform for the wider ecosystem of networks, associations, educators, consultants, software vendors and technology experts who serve accountants and finance professionals worldwide. It extends into regular Accounting Voices networking sessions that connect this audience and amplify ideas that move the profession forward. With its international reach and long shelf life the show delivers credibility and commercial value for listeners and sponsors alike. Search for "Accounting Voices" on YouTube for all episodes and connect with Rob Brown on LinkedIn to find out more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown

About your host

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Rob Brown

ob Brown is the creator and host of the Accounting Voices Network, a media platform that includes the flagship solo podcast Accounting Voices and the panel shows Accounting M&A and Accounting Tech. He chairs conferences, panels and virtual events worldwide and is recognised as a leading advocate for the accounting profession.

He is an accomplished speaker and authority on trust, reputation, employer brand, talent, succession, executive presence and the forces shaping the future of accounting. Rob is the author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and his TEDx talk The Personal Brand of You has been viewed more than 400,000 times.

A former co-founder of the Accounting Influencers Roundtable, Rob now focuses on amplifying the voices of leaders, firms, networks, vendors and influencers across the global accounting ecosystem.

Outside of work he is a stroke survivor, lives with epilepsy, holds a black belt in kickboxing and is based in Nottingham, UK. He plays chess and backgammon, loves orange chocolate and is allergic to grapefruit.