Culture Matters: Building the Wise Firm

Discipline equals freedom. That short sentence is seemingly a paradox. When we typically think of the meaning of discipline, we think of more effort, discomfort, and doing the opposite of what our natural predisposition tells us to do.

“How can I demonstrate my appreciation for you?” I asked. It was a simple question to a mixed project team a few years ago. I had no idea the responses I heard would literally change the way I approached sharing appreciation for the rest of my career.

I'm an avid golfer. Not necessarily the best golfer in the world, but golfing is something I am passionate about and allows me to get outside and decompress after a long week. It's the personal time I need to refocus so that I can be fresh for the week ahead. If you have never played golf before, it is a game that requires many small (but impactful) decisions throughout a round. A common decision I am forced to make is whether to play it "safe" and layup, or attempt the more difficult shot with a higher risk but the potential for a greater outcome. The obvious answer for this conservative accountant is to play it safe, right?  Wrong! As a golf buddy of mine likes to say, "You can't make eagle by laying up!"

When you walk around HORNE on a Friday afternoon in the fall it is evident that most of our team members, including myself, love college football. As the season gears up, the number of team colors worn around the office increases as team members partake in friendly banter over their team of choice. I can only imagine the confidence each quarterback must have knowing they have a stadium full of fans and teammates all in their corner, cheering them on to victory. That has to be the most incredible feeling—knowing no matter the outcome, your true supporters will always have your back.

Last year at our firm’s strategic planning, it was brought to light that a lack of engagement amongst my team was one of the top things holding us back from reaching our full potential as a practice group. 70% of those on the management team agreed it was our number one problem. 

I grew up in a diverse family—four sisters, one brother, three races, and a 75 year age span between the family members that still lived in my parent’s house in Tennessee. I’m so blessed to be part of a family with so many perspectives, learning to empathize with others’ positions rather than automatically becoming judgmental. As you might expect, getting along with everybody all the time wasn’t always easy. I remember one particular instance when my 5-year-old brother and 13-year-old sister were having a particularly difficult time refraining from killing each other. My mom, the wisest person in the world, pulled my sister aside and told her “I know your brother is hard to deal with and sometimes really hard to like. You know how the greatest commandment is to love God, and the second is to love others? Well, your brother was made in the image of God. You have to love him.” Mic drop.

My first two years at HORNE were pretty exciting and filled with fast-paced learning. But, I slowly started to feel eager for a bigger more impactful role in a project. Then, one day my performance advisor was talking about having to travel to Tennessee for a client meeting. I immediately chimed in, “I want to go to Tennessee!” He smiled and said, “Well, I don’t need you on this project right now, but we have a big project coming up that’s also in Tennessee. And, it’s a big one.”