The recent ACCA Global Talent Trends 2025 survey found that 50% of accounting professionals fear they are not developing the right skills for the future. While artificial intelligence (AI) was named the most in-demand skill by 36%, only 38% felt confident in their current AI knowledge. Even more telling, 44% are concerned about AI’s impact on their jobs.

Soft skills and competitive edge

Technical expertise alone is no longer enough to shape the next generation of leaders. Firms must focus on cultivating soft skills—those intangible yet critical abilities that enable finance professionals to build trust, collaborate effectively and adapt in an ever-changing industry. Identifying and nurturing these skills to build a future pipeline of leaders is critical to building resilient, high-performing teams that drive long-term success.

Ronald Meijers, former board vice‑chair at Netherlands firm AAFF and advisor to its Leadership Education programme, says:

“A paradigm shift is needed because we have to approach those in leadership positions as people who have to learn a new profession. It’s a commitment to a new job – a very different job from what you’ve been doing before. So you need to expose yourself to a totally new set of rules.”

Meijers adds:

“When professionals step up to a leadership role, it is impossible to solve a problem without inserting yourself into that challenge.”

Quoting Gallup McKinsey, he notes that 60–80% of people in leadership roles don’t know how to lead:

“There’s all sorts of power play hidden in plain sight that is not conducive to a long term culture of sustainable thinking.”

That’s why AAFF is investing time to define what its leadership compass looks like. He emphasises that leadership development must be a continuous process—not just one week of study or a single programme.

“Leadership is about a whole set of behaviours that encourage your team to follow you to your ultimate goal.”

What true Leadership looks like

Leaders who excel in soft skills are better equipped to navigate complexities. Research shows that firms prioritising leadership development with a focus on soft skills see higher employee retention, stronger client relationships, and improved operational efficiency.

C&C Financial Services highlights key soft skills: emotional intelligence, adaptability and resilience, communication and influence, collaboration and teamwork, and critical thinking. They foster these through a culture of continuous learning, personalised leadership development programmes, and regular feedback.

The need to identify employees early and equip them with leadership tools is vital. The leaders of tomorrow in accounting are not just those with the strongest financial skills, but those who can connect, adapt and lead with emotional intelligence. Firms that recognise this will gain a significant competitive advantage in an increasingly client-driven industry.

Influence and leadership muscle

The ability to influence is vital. Mentoring programmes or formal training can help develop this skill. Effective leaders present ideas in ways that resonate with their audiences and use guidance and positive reinforcement to influence others. Even those not moving into senior roles can benefit from leadership training to boost their influencing abilities.

Executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles identifies ‘leading through influence’ as one of four capabilities for future-ready leaders. To build these skills, they suggest:

• Talking through financial reports with non-experts to learn how to simplify content without losing accuracy

• Leading meetings, pitching ideas, and negotiating fees

These activities build confidence and influence, encourage inclusion, and build trust across teams and with senior executives and external partners.

Curiosity and the spark behind innovation

Talking to Louis C Grassi CEO and founder of leading US firm Grassi, inquisitiveness came up as key attribute. In Grassi’s opinion, the most effective leaders of tomorrow will be inherently curious – not just about emerging technologies but about clients, market shifts and global trends. Grassi added that by encouraging curiosity and continuous learning within our firms, we will distinguish the true industry leaders from those simply reacting to change. According to Meijers, great leaders demonstrate five core abilities: they need to be a sense-maker, strategist, organiser, coach and role model.

Rethinking the role of accountants Meijers also notes that the role of accountants should not be underestimated. “There’s a large role to play when it comes to things like true cost accounting, so helping companies actually understand the impact that they make,” he adds.

Rethinking the role of accountants

Meijers also notes that the role of accountants should not be underestimated. “There’s a large role to play when it comes to things like true cost accounting, so helping companies actually understand the impact that they make,” he adds. The profession will also have to invest a huge amount of effort into ‘the paradigm shift’. “This means learning to think in broader ways, to include all stakeholder perspectives in your advice. For example, in our tax department, we help companies to be proud of the tax that they pay,” Meijers continues.

Rather than find ways to minimise a company’s tax contribution, Meijers also encourages his tax accountants to highlight to clients how they should contribute their fair amount, given what they do, or do not do, for the environment.

It is clear that strong and skilled future leadership within firms is vital to steer effective practices and advise clients in unknown territory. To ensure success, firms must understand their skills gap and know how to fill it with the right skills for the digital age.

Firms are already aware of the challenge ahead, but they must continue to focus on critical soft skills for leaders to turbocharge the paradigm shift.