Reinventing Leadership
By Dr. Jim Murray
The following is an excerpt. The original article can be found here.
Leadership evolves through a series of inflection points. While few leaders admit it, credible research tells us the volatility and disruption that accompany mission success in these turbulent, paradoxical times now outruns the capabilities of most leaders. If you expect a long, steady, glowing ascent as your executive career evolves, sooner or later that kind of thinking will undermine your passion for leading, deflate your drive and eventually derail you.
Here are some insights for today’s executives that define what it means to lead effectively in turbulent times:
Accept that even the most successful leaders hit ceilings
Even the most effective and admired leaders ran into roadblocks and hit ceilings in their careers. Since taking the reins from Steve Jobs in 2011, Tim Cook has grown Apple’s revenue by more than $380 billion CDN annually and has increased its market cap more than ten times to $4.7 trillion CDN – making it the third most valuable company in the world. Yet his leadership is under increasingly severe scrutiny. Its top AI executive was recently poached by Meta and investors, long content with share growth, are getting restless. Apple’s once-unbeatable stock has cratered downward while the Nasdaq is attaining record growth.
Prioritize Personal Growth
Leaders today, while they pay attention to the needs of the enterprise, don’t necessarily do that with conviction or energy when it comes to their own development. Preoccupied with external demands but less focused on their own growth, they encounter new levels of unfamiliarity and disorientation as the job becomes bigger, faster and more demanding. Mastering the emergent challenges and competencies of leadership requires more than behavioural changes – it demands redefining oneself as a different kind of leader.
Understand that Growth and Leadership Stalls are common
Almost 90% of companies experience growth stalls. Leaders do likewise. It can happen to any chief executive regardless of her intelligence, experience or skill set. Paradoxically, such plateaus are often a consequence of their earlier success in growing the enterprise – rather than focusing on what needs to change, they double down on what got them to where they are now. As Warren Bennis, an acknowledged guru on the subject, once accurately observed, “Most of us wear the concrete shoes of our past successes and eventually pay the price.”
More than ever before, leaders are recognizing the business world around them has changed dramatically, they’re now feeling less effective and questioning whether they’re still up to the challenge. More CEOs stepped down last year than in any year since 2000. The bar has been raised as owners and boards are asking whether they have the right leadership competencies and mindset in place to address the uncertainties and increasing stakeholder demands.
The seasoned members of your team are having more trouble getting the same job done. Accustomed to delivering heroic results, they must now work themselves past the memory of their prior successes.
Shift from control to influence
Overcoming a stall requires that you move from talking and telling to listening and asking, from convincing others with your technical savvy to involving them in bigger-picture conversations, from dictating “what” to coaching “how.” It means you have to stop making the tough calls on every problem, as you’ve always done, and only make them on those that might constitute a catastrophe. It requires that you transition from solving every hiccup to asking others to step in, ask the right questions and lead. It demands that you stop tweaking and fine-tuning the status quo and start risking and innovating anew.
E.F. Schumacher, the renegade of Buddhist economics, once opined that “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex and more violent. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” It involves a transition from being the chief problem solver to nurturing more problem solvers, from leaning in to standing back, from using executive directions to relying more on subtle influence skills, and from dictating how goals can be achieved to coaching others on how to accomplish them.
Communicate a meaningful narrative
Reinvention requires the capacity to articulate an intelligible narrative that resonates within the enterprise and drives higher levels of commitment and productivity. Every major discontinuity should be a role modeling opportunity to affirm or reaffirm the vision you’ve framed to guide the organization forward. The ability to pivot quickly, profoundly and effectively might be the most important core competency of leadership today. Is your purpose statement on target, memorable and spreadable? Does it engage people, or do they respond with apathy and disinterest?
Reinvention is the realization that learning never ends. It isn’t easy to be honest about our shortcomings. It requires courage to confront what holds us back. As Sir William Wallace said over 1200 years ago, people don’t follow titles, they follow courage. Leadership is a mindset and a responsibility, not a title. Having technical competence is expected as table stakes. You should know what expertise you’re ultimately required to deliver. Having wisdom more so than just intelligence, having good judgment rather than just business savvy, being able to listen rather than command, being able to inspire rather than direct and demand – these are the traits that accompany leadership renewal and earn you a willing and committed followership.
Dr. Jim Murray is the CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has taught courses for CPABC since 1982.
He is the architect of several advanced residential programs for five provincial CPA bodies, has published four best-selling books, and provided his strategic counsel to well over 600 organizations. He has been nationally honoured by the university community and formally recognized for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio is on SmartLeaders.ca.
Gain insights from Dr. Murray through his Redefining Leadership Certificate Program which comprises the following course titles: Building Innovation Capability; Strategic Foresight, Planning and Modeling; The Science of Fearless Decision Making. You can also explore his Managing for High Performance Certificate Program featuring courses such as Building High Performance Teams; Correcting Employee Problem Behaviour; Managing a Multi-generational Workforce; Understanding the Human Condition; Hire the Best, Keep Them and Fire the Worst; Managing a Multicultural Workforce. Deepen your knowledge with his Negotiating Mastery Certificate Program, which includes The Negotiating Process Simplified; Essential Communication Skills; Tactic Recognition and Response; Power, Creativity and Timing; Human Behaviour and Cultural Differences; Team Bargaining and Mediation.
Elevate your Career Through Financial Literacy
November marks Financial Literacy Month in Canada, celebrating its 15th anniversary. This year’s theme, “Talk Money,” encourages Canadians to engage in open conversations about personal finance fostering greater knowledge, confidence and smarter financial decisions.
For financial professional, literacy today goes far beyond reading statements or managing budgets. In our fast-paced, data-driven world, it’s about interpreting complex financial information, communicating it effectively, and turning insights into action. These skills are essential not only for guiding clients, but also for advancing your business and career.
Here are four ways financial literacy enhances your impact as a Finance Professional:
1. Turning Numbers into Insight and Action
Financial literacy empowers professionals to analyze data and evaluate risk with accuracy. It involves recognizing patterns, assessing potential threats, and converting information into actionable insights. Rather than simply presenting figures, professionals must articulate their significance, relevance, and strategic implications. Those with strong financial literacy are better equipped to understand risk, return, and market behavior—ultimately driving more informed investment and business decisions.
2. Communicating Effectively with Non-Financial Stakeholders
Financial literacy helps you connect across departments and disciplines, elevating your professional credibility. Whether you're engaging with clients, boards, or internal teams, clear financial communication is essential. That means avoiding jargon, simplifying complexity, and telling a compelling story with numbers. You become more than a number-cruncher—you become a strategic thinker and a respected voice.
3. Staying Ahead of Risk, Regulation, and Change
Regulatory shifts, economic uncertainty, and ESG disclosures are reshaping the financial landscape. Financial literacy gives you the confidence to respond, not react. From tax updates to climate risk reporting, you’ll be prepared to navigate complexity with clarity.
4. Future-Proofing Your Career
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can process numbers, but it can’t replace financial judgment, critical thinking, or ethical reasoning. These are the skills that will keep you relevant and in demand. In a world of constant change, financial literacy helps professionals adapt and thrive. Whether you're deepening core competencies or expanding into new areas, investing in financial literacy is investing in your future.
No matter your role, controller, analyst, partner, or entrepreneur, financial literacy is your foundation for smarter decisions, better outcomes, and lasting impact. It is a lifelong asset that grows with you and sets you apart in a fast-changing industry. Financial literacy isn’t just a skill, it’s a strategic asset.
Financial Planning Mastery with Seasoned Industry Leader
Meet Kurt Rosentreter, CPA, CA, CFP, CLU, TEP, FMA, CIMA, FCSI, CIM®, your financial planning expert. Whether you are planning for retirement, optimizing investments, or navigating insurance decisions, his expert-led seminars offer the clarity and confidence you need.
Kurt has long been recognized as one of Canada’s most established and credentialed financial experts on matters of investing, taxes, estate, retirement, comprehensive financial planning and wealth management. With more than thirty years of experience advising clients, seven published books on personal finance in stores and as an Instructor of Wealth Management courses for the Chartered Professional Accountants across Canada, Kurt brings academic expertise, an integrated planning approach, technically sound planning and a goal-based approach to your finances.
Take charge of your financial future and register today in Kurt’s upcoming sessions on How to Build and Maintain a Personal Financial Plan , How to Build an Investment Portfolio and Select Investment Products or Designing Retirement Income.
August/September 2025
June/July 2025
Reminder
Time is running out to join this year’s Thriving in Public Practice Series! Live-virtual sessions take place every Wednesday from October 22 to November 12, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Choose the full four-day experience or register for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 or Day 4 only sessions that best align with your schedule and interests. Secure your spot today and invest in your professional growth.
Did You Know
The B.C. Employer Training Grant helps businesses invest in skills training for new or existing employees to improve certification, adapt to automation, and boost productivity. Employers can receive up to $300,000 in government support per fiscal year.
Discover whether your organization is eligible for the professional development opportunities you’re pursuing, including In-House, Executive or Certificate Programs. Explore the full details of B.C. Employer Training Grant to learn how it can support your training goals.