What personal qualities do accountants need?

Mark Lee considers what accountants in practice might be able to learn from the apparently “bumbling” mayor of London.

Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, recently admitted that his “colourful” style is a deliberate ploy he uses to get attention.

In an interview with the American TV channel CNBC he indicated that his bumbling self-deprecating persona is part of an attempt to be noticed and remembered by people who are bored by conventional politicians.

Boris is clearly more memorable and more likeable than most other British politicians these days. His personal qualities, including his bumbling style, clearly make him stand out whatever we may think of his policies and politics.

At the other extreme I recall John Major being defined by ‘Spitting Image’ (a satirical TV show) as a very grey and boring politician.

Are you memorable or boring? What personal qualities do you have that make clients like you? Are you referable? By which I mean, do the people you meet, whether at networking events or elsewhere, remember you and feel comfortable referring their clients and contacts to you?

In the CNBC interview Boris said: “It’s very important in politics to be able to get people’s attention. Most people actually find lots of political stuff incredibly dull and so if you can make a joke or if you can find some ways of illuminating some idea or subject with a metaphor that capture’s people’s attention, some colourful way of thinking about it, then you’ve got them for a second.”

This is not just about how Boris wants to be perceived by the public. He is referencing the attributes and personality traits that others use to describe him. Most of us want to be liked but do others always see us as we would like them to do?

I would say accountants, like politicians, also need to be able to get people’s attention. Many people consider that lots of accountancy work is incredibly dull too.

I have no doubt that the more successful accountants tend to be those who have plenty of positive personal qualities.

Do you know, for example, what words your clients, business associates and colleagues would use to describe you? And is this how you would want to be described? Do all of your clients see the same person? Or, perhaps you adapt to mirror or to help different types of client to relate better to you as their accountant?

Do you know what are your most effective personal qualities?

Some of the more positive words that clients, colleagues and associates might use to describe you include: warm, engaging, sociable, happy, positive, enthusiastic, inspires confidence, good sense of humour, expert, credible, problem-solver, experienced, reliable, flexible, charismatic, discrete, empathetic, trustworthy, integrity, honest, assertive, knowledgeable, professional, ethical, energetic, proactive, helpful, organised, good communicator, interesting, successful, creative, interested in me and in my business.

Some of the more neutral adjectives perhaps include: methodical, extrovert, introverted, intelligent, meticulous, disciplined, prudent, scrupulous, detail focused, decent, inquisitive, serious, ok, cautious and predictable. Some people may see these as positive qualities; others will see them in a negative light and variations on the old stereotype of ‘boring’.

And some less positive personal qualities, that are probably shared by a fair number of accountants, include: uses too much jargon, self-centred, waffles, reluctant to discuss fees, aloof, focuses on the minutiae, pedantic, punctilious, too technical, doesn’t listen, doesn’t make eye-contact, sounds like the taxman, talks too much about themselves, struggling, messy, disorganised, needs to be chased, low energy levels, limited interest in others, dull and… Boring.

By the way, I know I listed “extrovert” and “introvert” together as neutral words. Neither is, of itself, positive or negative. Some people will be comfortable with an extrovert accountant. Others may find that a turn-off and prefer their accountant to be more introverted. They are simply two extremes along a continuum. And perhaps the best accountants are typically somewhere in between.

Projecting positive personal qualities is just as important as having sufficient technical knowledge and expertise. Indeed, your personal qualities and skills are arguably more important as you can delegate client work; it’s less easy to delegate responsibility for client relationships.

There’s a lot of truth in the old maxim, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”. If we were to ask new acquaintances about your personal qualities – about how they will remember you – what might they say? Would the people you meet networking use different words to those of prospective new clients who have met you for an exploratory meeting?

Most of us will never know the answers to these questions. We can however attempt to cultivate a persona (a natural persona) by being more self aware of what we say, of how we say it and of how others react to us.

The range of personal skills we all need to succeed in practice, in life and in business goes way beyond the personal qualities I have set out above. The best of these are simply the personal qualities I suspect that most successful accountants project when engaging with other people.  Do you agree? If you were to think of some successful accountants you know, how might you describe them (leaving aside any feelings of envy or frustration)?

I believe that it is possible to be reliable, trustworthy, honest, have an eye for detail, to be a decent accountant AND to also have a sense of humour and a cheerful personality, and to be good company.  And if you're good fun to be with, you're not boring!

Boris Johnson is anything but boring. He is popular, but he isn't taken seriously and has limited credibility. So I am not suggesting him as a role model for accountants. But if you wanted to replicate his appeal whilst at the same time retaining or building your credibility what would you do?

Related articles

• How to stop being a boring accountant
• Is it old fashioned to be a boring accountant?
• The value of getting intimate with clients

Mark Lee is consultant practice editor of AccountingWEB and writes the BookMarkLee blog. This is for accountants who want to overcome the boring stereotype and to be more successful in practice, online and in life. He is also chairman of the Tax Advice Network of independent tax experts.