Success looks different for everyone. It’s a lesson Nancy McClelland, CPA, has learned in various ways throughout her career.
“Every person’s version of success gets to be defined by them,” explained McClelland. “Growth should not be the automatic goal.”
When McClelland chose to stop accepting any client simply because they needed services, she was told she “was leaving money on the table.” But McClelland’s intuition was telling her to reject growth for growth’s sake.
“Leaving money on the table is not a good enough reason to grow,” explained McClelland. “The table can keep it.”
And about 15 years ago, when McClelland chose to switch the name of her business from Nancy McClelland, LLC, to The Dancing Accountant, she was afraid the new moniker would come off as unprofessional or off-putting. But she also loved that the name displayed her personality.
By embracing a version of success that reflects her own values, McClelland has set the foundation for a meaningful career. It’s a message she’s eager to share at the upcoming AICPA® & CIMA® Women’s Global Leadership Summit, Nov. 16–18. McClelland will be cohosting the session “What We Wish We’d Known: Lessons From AICPA & CIMA Women to Watch,” and it will be recorded live for the podcast She Counts.
“I personally want to live a life full of meaningful work,” she said. “I want my work to leave a legacy.”
Why great leaders don’t do it all
Leaders should challenge themselves to grow, but when they take on everything themselves, they miss opportunities to be vulnerable and allow their teams to step up and contribute.
“When you trust yourself to do all of the things, even the things you’re not good at, and you’re not practicing empathetic leadership, you’re not giving them the opportunity to step up and fill those holes,” explained McClelland, who was one of the 2025 AICPA & CIMA Global Women to Watch.
For example, McClelland loves bookkeeping and performing tax and advisory services but concedes she’s not the person to research new ways the company can use artificial intelligence (AI). The task is a better fit for another bookkeeper.
“Spoiler alert: Trying to hide what you’re not good at, you’re not hiding it from your team members. They know where your weaknesses are, so you might as well take that deep breath and let them help you.”
McClelland believes in working in her “zone of genius.” She can communicate to her team “where her gems of knowledge and abilities end” and how they can advance those skills.
“When we get to work in that zone of genius, we feel more fulfilled. We do better work. We have better energy,” McClelland said. “Trying to force yourself to work at things where you are not gifted … you’re not making a better life for yourself or for your team.”
Authenticity as a leadership advantage
In a professional landscape where women are still judged on their personalities and likability over their business outputs, McClelland knows it’s scary to express oneself fully in the workplace. High-performing women are more than seven times more likely to receive personality-based negative feedback at work than their male counterparts, according to Textio’s survey, Language Bias in Performance Feedback 2024.
“We’re terrified to bring our whole selves to work. But in fact, it can be both the riskiest thing we’ve ever done and the biggest reward.”
Authenticity helps foster relationships with people who share your priorities, creating stronger professional connections and a more fulfilling career. And that’s something The Dancing Accountant knows firsthand.
“People don’t lose confidence in you just because they learn you’re a whole person, because they are whole people as well. This could be something that makes them feel more connected to you,” she said.
Success rarely happens in isolation, which is why learning from those who have paved the way can be a powerful catalyst for growth. The AICPA® & CIMA® Women’s Global Leadership Summit provides an opportunity for attendees to learn from one another, expand their perspectives, and return with ideas they can put into action. The three-day conference will be hosted at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront from Nov. 16–18.