“We’ve been talking about transformation in accounting for as long as I can remember.”
— Seth Fineberg, Founder of Accountants Forward and an advocate of the accounting profession.
Accounting loves the language of change, or it seems so.
We frequently discuss innovation, transformation, and the future of the profession. These terms constantly echo on conference stages, on social media, and in every form of content – written or verbal – year after year.
And yet—when you strip away the slogans—the profession looks eerily familiar.
The hours are still long.
The talent shortage is steadily on the rise.
Firm owners are still stuck, doing everything.
And the promise for a better, well-rounded “future” always seems one busy season away.
This tension—between what accounting says it wants to become and how it actually behaves—is where Seth Fineberg has spent the better part of three decades observing, questioning, and challenging the profession.
On Smart Outsourcing Talks, Seth didn’t just talk about change as a trend. He talked about it as a pattern—one the profession keeps repeating.
The Industry That Knows It Needs to Change
Seth has watched the accounting profession evolve from the inside: through media, conferences, firm conversations, and leadership rooms where big ideas are discussed—often passionately.
And yet, as he put it plainly: “We keep having the same conversations.”
Technology is coming. Talent is leaving. Margins are tightening. Clients want more.
None of this is new.
But what is new is the growing exhaustion around pretending that awareness equals action. The problem is that accounting isn’t short on insight, it is short on follow-through. And it’s not that firms don’t care enough. But change in accounting is mostly in talks and not in design.
The Comfort of Talking vs. the Risk of Doing
Talking about change feels productive. Actually changing feels disruptive.
Seth touched on something subtle but powerful: many firm leaders intellectually understand what needs to happen—but emotionally and structurally, they’re still anchored to how things have always worked. The urge to control everything is ingrained in their being.
“People want different outcomes, but they don’t want to give up control.”
That control shows up everywhere:
- Reviewing every return
- Being the final bottleneck
- Saying yes to every client
- Holding on to legacy processes “just in case”
Change, in theory, is exciting. Change, in practice, threatens identity. And the core of accounting is built on certainty, predictability, and risk mitigation.
People fear change in practice because it makes everyone uncomfortable.
When Leadership Becomes the Limiting Factor
One of the unspoken truths in Seth’s perspective is this:
The biggest barrier to change isn’t technology—it’s leadership behavior.
Not bad leadership.
Human leadership.
- Leaders who built firms by being indispensable.
- Leaders whose value came from knowing everything.
- Leaders who equate presence with performance.
“We still reward people for being busy instead of being effective.”
Well, no one says that explicitly, but it is in the mindset, and this mindset creates firms where:
- Delegation feels risky
- Offshoring feels threatening
- Automation feels likea loss, not leverage
So instead of redesigning the firm, leaders redesign their calendars—and wonder why nothing fundamentally changes.
The Repeating Cycle of “Almost There”
Seth’s long view of the profession reveals a cycle:
A new idea enters the industry — Everyone talks about it — Early adopters experiment — The majority waits — The conversation moves on without real adoption
We’ve seen it with:
- Advisory services
- Paperless firms
- Cloud accounting
- AI
- Global teams
No matter what we talk about, every time the narrative sounds urgent, but the execution continues to be on the waitlist.
As Seth implied, the profession isn’t resisting change—it’s postponing commitment.
Change Requires Redefining What Leadership Looks Like
One of the quiet themes in the conversation with Seth revealed was leadership maturity.
Not louder leadership.
Not more visionary leadership.
But leadership that is willing to let go.
“At some point, you have to stop being the smartest person in every room.”
That shift—from expert to enabler—is where most change efforts break down. Because when a firm truly changes the leader no longer touches everything, the decisions tend to move outward and the value shifts from doing to designing.
And this transition has nothing to do with technical knowledge. It’s a personal shift.
Why Change Matters Now More Than Ever in the Industry
Staying the same, especially in an evolving industry like accounting, comes with its share of costs. It is no longer theoretical.
We get to see it in burned-out partners, firms that can’t afford to hire, clients who outgrow their accountants, and leaders who feel trapped by the businesses they have built.
Seth’s perspective makes it very clear – the profession isn’t failing, it’s just stalling. And hesitation, in a fast-moving world, is a strategy in itself.
Just not a winning one.
From Conversation to Commitment
What Seth doesn’t do is prescribe a neat solution. Because the issue isn’t a checklist.
It’s a decision. And a tough one at it.
A decision to stop romanticizing change and start redesigning for it.
A decision to let go of the idea that growth must equal sacrifice.
A decision to design firms that don’t depend on heroic effort to survive.
As Seth’s career quietly demonstrates, the real evolution of accounting won’t come from louder conversations.
It will come from leaders who finally decide that talking about change isn’t the same as leading it.
The Question That Lingers
Seth never asked this directly—but it hangs in the air long after the conversation ends:
If accounting knows exactly what needs to change…
what is it still afraid of losing?
Because until that question is answered honestly, the leaders will keep doing what it does best:
Talking about change—while staying exactly the same.
Found the topic interesting? Watch the complete conversation here: https://youtu.be/3yvwzObKYsA?si=3odx_XIOIqtlyKNv
In this Article
editor
Maanoj Shah is the Co-founder & Director of Growth Strategy & Alliances at Finsmart Accounting, where he pioneered the “Accounting Seat” model—a revolutionary offshore embedded staffing solution purpose-built for Accounting and CPA firms. Widely recognized as an outsourcing and offshoring expert, Maanoj’s insights have been featured in leading accounting publications, and he regularly speaks at premier industry conferences including Scaling New Heights, Bridging the Gap, BKX, and Women Who Count.
A dynamic growth leader with over two decades of experience, Maanoj has incubated, scaled, and exited ventures across Fintech, HR, and Consulting sectors, holding various CXO roles throughout his career. His passion for scaling businesses is matched by his commitment to social impact. He is the Co-founder of Mission ICU, a national healthcare initiative that installs critical care units in underserved areas of India, and was recognized by the World Economic Forum for its last-mile impact.
Outside of work, Maanoj leads an active lifestyle as an avid tennis player and passionate golfer, blending strategy and agility on and off the court.
CONTENT DISCLAIMER
The content in this article is for general information and education purposes only and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. Finsmart Accounting does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, adequacy, or currency of the information in the article. You should seek the advice of a competent lawyer or accountant licensed to practise in your jurisdiction for advice on your particular situation.
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