S4E47. The Wisdom in Creating a Culture-First Firm with Joey Havens

From the desk of Crate Media

“When you see a turtle on top of a fence post, chances are, he did not get there on his own.” Joey Haven uses this visual to kick off a recent blog post illustrating how leaders only get to where they are because others helped them get there.

He serves as the Managing Partner of Strategic Growth for the CPA firm, HORNE, and previously served as the Executive Partner from 2012 to 2021, leading more than 1,800 team members to build the Wise Firm©, while passionately living out his life’s calling to help others see and reach their full potential. Prior to being named Executive Partner in 2012, Joey served as the Managing Partner of Healthcare Services and the Managing Partner of Government Services.

Within the profession, Joey actively challenges the mainstays of public accounting. He advocates growing leaders faster using holistic approaches and intentional sponsorship. In addition to his weekly beBetter blog, he is the author of numerous whitepapers and articles, including Becoming the Firm of the Future published by the AICPA. He’s also co-authored four books during his career at HORNE and is an active member of CPA Practice Advisor’s Top 30 Thought Leaders, where he works with other accounting professionals to help lead and shape the industry. Joey is a frequent presenter/teacher/facilitator on creating a culture of belonging, strategic planning, leadership development and loves to teach young professionals the ABCs to Outstanding.

He named his firm the Wise Firm© based on the parable of the wise man and the foolish man. The wise man built his house on the rock and the foolish man built his house on the sand. When the storms came, the rain and the wind washed the fool’s house away. He had a feeling that the CPA profession would soon face generational storms, and he wanted to build a strong foundation that could survive those winds. That foundation was culture.

The power of a high performing team, with high trust and a strong sense of community, allows you to move past fear and stand firm against any challenge.

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