The headlines over at Rick Telberg’s blog are disturbing!

His post, Too many accounting firms suffer for lack of skilled leaders, Seven Keys survey says claims that a significant number of accountants are telling us the leadership in their organizations is less than top-notch. The data is coming from the Seven Keys CPA survey now in the field. (Check out Telberg’s new site, Seven Keys to Successful CPA Firm Management.)

I am hearing the same thing from our New / Young Professionals Network and the AICPA Leadership Academy participants. They are also saying a severe lack of training and investment is magnifying the problem.

Add to that a recent Harvard study that found 25 percent of high-performing employees will be changing jobs as soon as they get a better offer and this should serve as a wake-up call.

Then factor in a tough economy and Rick’s subtitle captures it well: “Leadership and management skills are at a premium as we navigate through a recession and a period of unprecedented change.”

Turns out that I am speaking on this exact topic at the IGAF Worldwide Women’s Leadership Conference in D.C. I am starting the session with, “If it was easy, everyone would do it!” Then, I am sharing our latest leadership development program and strategic planning system from our Business Learning Institute, I2A: A Strategic Thinking System.

This approach is based on years of research and is based on several key success principles — know thyself, build on strengths, seek high-leverage opportunities, create your future, and engage people in conversations about your future to inspire them to action.

You can find out more about my talk on leadership in turbulent times in my post, If it was easy, everyone would do it.  

Then tell me: Where have all the leaders gone? Are we at a critical point with a lack of leaders?