Blogs
Busy and productive
August 2024
It’s been a busy, yet extremely productive, few months at Russell Bedford International. Since our last edition of Business World, we have held several regional events, where our people from around the globe gather to discuss latest updates in the profession, sharing best practice and discussing ways of working even closer together, servicing businesses worldwide.
I continue to be impressed by the calibre and vibrancy of colleagues wherever I travel, and enjoyed my time at local offices in Colombia, Bolivia and Chile, following our Ibero-America conference, Morocco in advance of our EMEA conference, and Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Japan prior to our Asia Pacific conference. Additionally, a recent trip to Budapest and a meeting in Geneva, sponsoring the Tennis Open, presented me with the opportunity to learn even more about the talent in our network. We discussed Artificial Intelligence, latest technologies, sustainability, the future of accountancy, business development, leadership and personal brand, amongst other current topics, and general updates on the economic and political situations.
We continue to live in uncertain times, with several elections in recent months which have produced, and may continue to produce, new governments and leaders. It was also during this period when I was proudly awarded “Accounting Leader of the Year”, along with Russell Bedford International being recognised as a “Highly commended network”. I subsequently wrote a piece on the matter, expressing how there is no such thing as ‘perfect leadership’, albeit something that most leaders will inevitably strive towards. For me, as I grow older, and hopefully ‘wiser’, I’ve learnt to accept that not everything will go the way you want and my ‘perfect’ might not always align with others. A good leader will, however, listen and empathise, while always looking for ways to achieve the best they can for desired goals and objectives. When things don’t go completely according to plan, a good leader will then work to fix that, in the best possible way, to get back on track.
I am sure I am not alone when I admit to having bumps in my career, but I’d never go back and fix those. They led me to where I am today, and I learnt so much from them. In fact, one learns a lot more from the things that go wrong, than from the times when everything goes right and when one might feel like perfection has been reached. Good leaders also surround themselves by people who will support them, through the good and the bad, whilst not being afraid to show vulnerability. We are all human and it is the human side of our profession that we strongly promote as we, at the same time, embrace advances in technology and the emergence of AI. To be successful, I would say - be the “best of you”, and work as hard as you can, with determination; try to be kind and respectful to others, listen to everyone you meet (they all have something to share), establish good relationships (they will help you in future life), learn from hard lessons that could end up being really important for your development, and use your personality to distinguish yourself.
It is also important to remember that success is subjective. We can all have it, in a variety of ways; and behind every ‘successful person’ there will be a number of aspects in their life where they will have been far from successful. So don’t be intimidated by success or (what others perceive as) successful people. It’s also important not to take oneself too seriously; but to do everything with passion, dedication and integrity.
When something goes wrong, try to smile and know you’re strong enough to fix it; and, if you’re fortunate to have good people, strong enough to help you fix it, then don’t hesitate to ask for their help. Since most challenges inevitably lead to opportunities, you may get the chance to show further talents and ability, resulting in even greater success.
This edition of Business World features articles on topics such as lifelong learning for competitive advantage, storytelling for marketing success, navigating the Japanese business landscape, and more. Written predominantly by experts across Russell Bedford firms, our central article focuses on doing business in Brazil, with this year’s Annual Global Conference being held in Rio de Janeiro.
For businesses out there, seeking to enhance and move to the next stage of progression, and particularly looking to expand into another jurisdiction, please reach out for help and Russell Bedford firms can, and will be delighted to, assist.
(Taken from Russell Bedford International’s latest edition of Business World: HERE)