Leadership by example: utilizing a mix of confidence, solid communication, and mutual respect. -- IGBM Interview: STEVEN BOTWINICK, Botwinick & Company, LLC

Name: Steven Botwinick
Company/Organization: Botwinick & Company, LLC
Year company/organization started: about 40 years ago
Type of company/organization: began as a small, local accounting firm and now small/medium size accounting firm
Year started with the company: 1991
 
1. Define your leadership philosophy in a headline.
Leadership by example: utilizing a mix of confidence, solid communication, and mutual respect.

By working hard and setting an example through how I treat and respect others, my teammates and colleagues have learned the culture that we've set and how we operate.  Our environment is one in which each of us has responsibilities spanning many different areas so it's very hard to micromanage and instead requires quality communication to build understanding and trust.  That trust plus mutual respect goes a long way and inspires us to work for a common cause.


2. What was your vision for your organization when you first came on board?  How does it compare to where you are now?
We're well on the road to accomplishing the goals I set upon entering the firm: to establish a firm that builds on the trust our clients have in us and allows us to expand the services that we offer through both in-house ancillary growth and strategic referral sources.

My vision was, and still is, for our clients to know that when they come to Botwinick & Company, they are going to get exceptional service and knowledge in a multitude of areas.  We've worked hard to build the internal infrastructure necessary to provide many of our deliverables, and we've also worked just as hard to establish relationships with service providers that are complementary to our core functions and core values.


3. How do you define success for your organization from a leadership perspective?
If everyone is happy.

If people are happy to come to work every day.  If they're happy while they're here.  If they enjoy what they are doing and if they're constantly challenged.  If they feel and know they're treated fairly and with respect.  And if they have the opportunity to set their goals, work hard to meet their goals, and are rewarded for doing so.


4. What is unusual about how you run your organization?
We're very family oriented.  People who work here feel they're part of something bigger and that their input matters and that their happiness is important to us.  We work hard to make sure that they enjoy being here.  Ultimately, it reflects on the service we provide our clients.


5. How are you solving your leadership challenges using your mantra of "leadership by example"?
I've worked hard to be able to delegate work and have moved beyond not trusting others.  I'm now handing work down and walking away from it, fully trusting that the work is going to be done in an accurate and timely manner.  It's really delegation through example and I've noticed that my partners have followed my lead.

This is beneficial in not only lessening my workload but it's also getting better production out of the staff because we're challenging them.  Before we'd do all the difficult work and just give them the menial tasks.  Now, by challenging them, they are happier in the environment, they feel more challenged, and they feel like they are growing.


6. Can you recall the organizational climate when you first felt like a "manager" or a "leader"?
That came 5 years ago when I decided it was time to step up and assume more of a leadership position in the firm and expect my father to (somewhat) step aside.  We had reached a point where the type of work we were doing and how we were marketing ourselves was really the maximum possible for a small accounting firm.  It was time to take that next step to become a medium size firm offering more than just the simple tax and bookkeeping services.  We had to take that step otherwise the growth had ended.


7. How has your leadership style evolved over your career?
As I've matured and assumed more responsibility and, at the same, as I've learned to trust my employees and fellow partners, I have been enabled to do more.  Specifically I'm now able to step out from behind the desk and work in front of the desk creating a professional relationship with the staff and changing the way I service our clients.  It also has allowed me to assist my partners on some of their roles, which I wasn't able to do before.  In that sense I'm taking a larger leadership role within the broader context of the organization.

My growth as a leader is due in large part to delegating responsibility and my staff and partners embracing me as a leader.


8. What advice would you give to aspiring leaders?
The most important attribute a leader can have is confidence.  Everybody wants a confident leader.  Your team needs to understand and believe that you're going in the right direction, that you believe you're going in the right direction.  If you don't believe it, they're not going to believe it either.  And, second, always respect those that you're leading.  There's got to be a mutual level of respect.  If you show confidence and treat them with respect you're an effective leader.


9. How do you remain confident and exude confidence when you stumble or hit a road block or make a mistake?
If you truly believe in yourself then there is no such thing as road blocks, they just slow you down.  You work your way around road blocks.  If you believe in the direction you're going in, you're going to get there ultimately.

That doesn't mean that along the way things won't change.  They do.  Things always change.  You must be able to change with times, whether the change stems from regulations, code changes, requirements from different agencies, etc.  But at the same time, never show that you're not confident in the direction you're taking the firm.  You may change direction at times, when you do, you need to show confidence that you believe in what you're doing.


10. Business owners often talk about "what keeps you up at night?" but we'd like to know what gets you out of bed in the morning?  What gets you excited and driven to start the day?
The ability to help a client to the point where they feel that we're a valuable part of their team.  Very often a client will say to me, "You're really a part of our team.  I know you're an accountant, but you're part of our management team and we rely on the advice you give."  That's what gives me the best feeling.


11. Botwinick & Company is very well trusted beyond your core business of accounting services.  How did you build this brand?  How much of it was intentional versus a product of good leadership and building the right team/culture?
Clearly intentional.  I've had this vision since I was young: "Why can't there be a place where someone can go and receive all services?"  I look at it as a wheel; we're at the center of the wheel as accountants and all the other services are just spokes off the wheel.

We built the brand by going to our clients and gaining their confidence and trust.  A lot of accountants do the work and at the end of the day they say "Ok, here are your records and financial statements."  We don't do that.  We help them with their financial statements and we say "How's your business doing?  We noticed that you've been taking a lot of money for insurance, have you looked at that?  You've got a mortgage and it's at 10%, but it really should be at 5%."  It's about asking the questions, inquiring into the business, understanding our clients' financial affairs, and being interested in what they're doing.  We strive to improve them all around.

Our clients trust us because we speak with confidence and from a platform of knowledge and experience.  When I speak with clients about financial planning I not only have confidence in what I'm speaking about, I have the knowledge.  I went back and got my financial planning certification, I became educated so I could speak to it.  We cherish education.  And we also operate with integrity, so if we don't know about a particular area, we say so and find the person who does.  Our clients are just as appreciative if we say "Y'know, I don't really know much about that, but I'm going to go back and find out."  This is one of our key differentiators.  Other accountants may hand over a phone number and think their job is done.  We won't do that.  We'll go back, we'll learn about it, we'll find out the answer, and we'll come back with the person… together.  We've often been called "the guy with the guy."  Recently I received a call "Steve, you're the guy with the guy.  I need someone to mow my lawn, who's the best landscaper?"  So there's nothing that clients don't ask us.  Nothing.


12. Can you speak to the dynamic of working in a family business with your father and brother?
 It gives me a unique opportunity.  There's no greater feeling than coming to work every day and seeing your father and your brother.  I'm very fortunate to be able to work with them.  I enjoy coming to work and it's worked out terrifically.  My father has taken a step back and given my brother and me a chance to grow.  He hasn't stood in our way of taking the firm towards our vision.  My brother and I have a mutual respect for each other and our abilities.  We know what each other's strengths are and we play to them.  And that works out very well for us.

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Botwinick & Company, L.L.C. http://www.botwinick.com/

Unique in the accounting field, Botwinick & Company, L.L.C. has the resources to handle the complexities of larger companies while still retaining the ability to provide for the needs of the small entrepreneur.

Botwinick & Company, L.L.C. was founded in 1968 by Herbert J. Botwinick.  Over the years, our firm has been successful in establishing a large client base encompassing a broad range of industries including: medical and dental practices, retail, manufacturing, real estate, professional services, not-for-profit organizations, sports, and entertainment.  While needs vary, all our clients depend on us as skilled accountants and trusted advisors.