Accountants are trained to think in terms of precision, compliance and minimizing risk. It’s what makes the profession trusted and indispensable. But here’s the paradox: in today’s rapidly changing business landscape, playing it safe isn’t always the safest move. Technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), is automating routine work. Clients are expecting deeper insights and strategic guidance. Younger team members want leadership that inspires and develops them. And competitors are more aggressive than ever.

What does this mean? It means boldness has become a professional necessity.

Now, when most people hear the word boldness, they think of someone naturally extroverted, daring or charismatic. But boldness isn’t a personality trait — it’s a life skill. And like any skill, it can be learned, practiced and strengthened. Once you do, it changes how you show up in every aspect of business and life.

Confidence in Action

Confidence is how you feel about yourself. Boldness is taking that confidence out into the world — asking the question, starting the conversation, making the suggestion or stepping forward when others hang back.

For accountants, this might mean:

• Telling a long-term client that their business strategy is putting them at financial risk, even when it’s uncomfortable.
• Asking a partner for a promotion or raise instead of waiting to be noticed.
• Speaking up in a meeting when you have an insight instead of letting the moment pass.
• Going after larger clients, rather than staying in your comfort zone of small accounts.

A lack of boldness costs more than most firms realize. It costs opportunities, clients, talent, revenue and personal fulfillment.

Why It Matters

Boldness is not recklessness. It’s about taking intelligent risks that compound into extraordinary results. Here are three ways boldness impacts the accounting profession:

1. Client relationships: Clients aren’t just hiring you to reconcile numbers; they want clarity, guidance and foresight. When you approach clients boldly — asking deeper questions, offering unsolicited insights or challenging assumptions — you elevate from being a vendor to being a trusted advisor. That shift is priceless.
2. Leadership and team culture: A bold leader empowers others to step up. When you encourage younger associates to take initiative, when you share your own failures as learning experiences, when you model openness and decisiveness — you’re cultivating a culture where boldness thrives. The result? A team that’s engaged, innovative and loyal.
3. Business growth: Whether you’re a partner, manager or sole practitioner, growth only comes from bold action. Reaching out to a potential client who seems “too big,” trying new marketing approaches or specializing in a niche are all acts of boldness. And when competitors hesitate, your bold move becomes your advantage.

A Learnable Skill

You don’t become bold overnight, but you can absolutely build it like a muscle. I describe boldness training with my PRIDE Method, a systematic way to do simple boldness exercises to expand your comfort zone. It involves:

• P – Preparation: Know your material, anticipate objections and rehearse your pitch or conversation.
• R – Relaxation: Learn how to regulate nerves with breathing and posture.
• I – Insight: Nothing bad happens unless you decide to label it that way.
• D – Dosage: Start small. Take on slightly uncomfortable challenges and expand gradually.
• E – Everyday action: Make boldness a habit with consistent practice.

Accountants thrive on process, and boldness works the same way. You don’t dabble in it. You systematize it. You practice it. And suddenly, what once paralyzed you becomes second nature.

The Ripple Effect

The most powerful part about boldness is how it impacts every area of your life. Boldness helps you ask for what you want in your career, and it also helps you have the hard conversation with your teenager or tell your life partner what you truly need. It helps you try new things, whether it’s travel, hobbies or even fitness, that expand your world.

In accounting, boldness makes you stand out in a profession where technical skills are assumed. Boldness is what gets you remembered. It’s what makes a client tell their colleagues, “You should work with my accountant. She’s not afraid to tell me the hard truths, and she always has fresh ideas.”

The age of AI is upon us, and routine tasks are being automated. What can’t be automated is courage, creativity and human connection. Boldness is the differentiator that future-proofs not just your career, but your fulfillment in life.

For accountants, the message is simple: mastery of numbers is expected. Boldness is the skill that will set you apart. And you can develop it, faster than you think!