We’re thrilled to welcome Jill J. Johnson, MBA—renowned strategy expert and two-time Business Hall of Fame inductee—as a featured speaker at the COCPA Women’s Summit this August. With her dynamic insight and practical approach, Jill will equip you with real-world strategies to strengthen your confidence, sharpen your strategic mindset, and expand your professional influence—no matter your title or years in the profession.

If you're ready to move beyond the technical and step boldly into leadership, Jill’s session is one you won’t want to miss.

The blog below offers a preview of the valuable insights she'll be sharing. Spoiler alert: influence isn’t about waiting your turn—it’s about taking intentional action.

In today’s dynamic environment, CPAs face more pressure than ever to contribute beyond technical expertise. Elevating your impact and influence isn’t reserved for those with lofty titles or decades of experience. In fact, it’s a strategic process grounded in confidence, intentional action, and authentic business development. These are skills that every accounting professional can master, regardless of role or career stage.

The Confidence Advantage

Leadership confidence is foundational. It cultivates trust, drives opportunity, and strengthens your voice in key business decisions. But confidence isn’t about bravado. It is a skill. It’s about developing an authentic presence that others can readily see and trust. 

To build your confidence, you have to be clear about your professional aspirations. This will help you identify the areas you need to develop. For young professionals, developing a solid foundation of technical competency is essential. Then you need to build your engagement management expertise including time management and supervising the work of others. As you move to higher levels in your career, not only is further refinement and finesse in your professional expertise expected, but this must also be combined with client management skills and business development capabilities that position you as a contributor to firm growth.

The best way to build your confidence is to leverage your personal strengths. For example, if you like to write, develop your expertise by writing articles for your firm newsletter or a professional publication. If public speaking doesn’t frighten you, consider how you can build this skill by speaking at industry conferences. These skills require practice to refine them. As you identify the skills you need to refine for future career roles, you can break the development down into smaller chunks to create a practical growth plan designed to compound small successes into lasting change.

Professional growth is not a straight line but a series of progressions that build on each other. By practicing your developing skills consistently in both familiar and new situations you will gain competence, confidence, and visibility. Take on visible roles, seek out mentors who will challenge and support you, and invest your time and energy in mastering new competencies. Over time, your small, bold actions will compound into transformative leadership potential.

Strategic Thinking: Aligning with the C-Suite

The most impactful CPAs think and communicate like business strategists. This requires an understanding of what truly matters to C-suite leaders. They are focused on business growth, organizational health, and successful navigation of an uncertain economic environment. Pay attention to what keeps them up at night. These issues might be changing market forces, regulatory shifts, or new technologies that require creative responses and strategic investments. Connect your thinking and work directly to these priorities.

As accountants, you have the ability to offer insight to help the C-suite interpret their business metrics (think profit margin, ROI, return on capital) in light of the evolving changes they are experiencing. As you grow in your understanding of how these metrics are impacted, you can begin to make recommendations that position you as a valuable asset. By thinking and speaking like an executive, you can become one of their most trusted advisors. You will also expand your strategic visibility and demonstrate that you understand the big picture.

Redefining Business Development

Business development today is about more than closing sales on the golf course. Genuine, long-term relationships are built on trust, substance, and consistency. Build a long-term business development plan around your strengths and goals. Referrals, volunteering, and consistently showing up are the habits that separate top performers in the long run. 

Look for opportunities to deepen your relationships with existing clients by offering them relevant insights and seek out ways to periodically stay in touch with them after projects end. Be visible, be helpful, and make yourself known as a resource for your colleagues within your firm. Your professional relationships are essential to expanding your knowledge, influence, and impact. Expand your external visibility by attending targeted events, joining industry forums, and contributing consistently to your local community. Authenticity and follow-through are your best calling cards.

Influence doesn’t come from waiting and hoping someone notices you. It comes from taking intentional steps to be seen. Elevating your visibility, both inside and outside your firm, creates new opportunities for collaboration, leadership, and professional advancement. Whether you’re volunteering for a committee or presenting to your client’s team, these small moments matter. The more others see your professionalism and value in action, the more likely they are to bring you into the conversations and decisions that shape the future.

 Key Takeaways

• Confidence compounds: Small, bold actions taken consistently will transform your impact over time.
• Strategic mindset matters: Understand the business, align your work with organizational strategy, and hone your executive presence.
• Relationships drive opportunity: Business development is about authentic engagement, not just transactions. Stay visible, responsive, and true to your own style.

Growth is ongoing: Whether building new skills or navigating new relationships, embrace each challenge as another step in expanding your professional influence.