Both the United States’ Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) are seeing a growing use of COVID-19-related themes by malicious cyber actors. Cyber threat actors are acting as trusted entities, sending out phishing messages or malicious applications. Cybercriminals are using the pandemic for commercial gain, deploying ransomware and other malware. These actors are targeting individual users, small- to medium-size enterprises, and large corporations.

(Basically, everyone.)

April 15, 2020 was not met by the collective sighs of CPAs nationwide nor the acknowledgment of arduous work done well for the nation’s millions of taxpayers. This April 15th marked an indistinguishable day amongst many of social distancing, sheltering in place, and bearing witness to the sudden collapse of a robust economy.  

Gretchen Pisano’s pointer for nailing the pivot and common missteps: Every new day is an opportunity to communicate and support your clients.

“What we're seeing now is unprecedented, unplanned for, uncalled for, and there was just no way to ever anticipate or prepare for it. Things are different… We have to adapt and we have to do that immediately and on the fly. We can't think about what it was like yesterday or what we would like it to be, or what we want it to be. We have to look at what it is now. And I think for a lot of people, it's just about survival.” —Ed Mendlowitz, Partner Emeritus at Withum, Smith, & Brown

Gretchen Pisano sat down, metaphorically, with Botkeeper’s Jody Padar to examine uncertainty as it relates to the intimate relationship between CPA and client. At this stage in the COVID-19 trajectory, fear and anxiety are transforming otherwise level-headed decision makers into erratic, uncertain, paralyzed citizens.

We’re in a new era of work in America, and like all periods of swift change that came before this one, there’s no guidebook to reference.

However, there are plenty of experts to offer their takes on the best steps forward. Two of those experts are CPA Jody Padar and Botkeeper Chief Technology Officer Justin Whitehead. Recently, the two met virtually to talk about ongoing cyberthreats facing remote workers, in particular remote accounting firms.

Last week Botkeeper sat down with strategic development consultant and pLink Leadership CEO, Gretchen Pisano. Pisano is uniquely qualified to assist us through this moment of uncertainty because she pairs her leadership acumen with a master’s degree in applied psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Here are some of her tips for leading and advising through COVID-19. 

Here at Botkeeper, we are seeing a lot of professional/technological shifts at the moment, which reposition leadership responsibilities. We had Gretchen Pisano of pLink Leadership walk us through some changes in the field and even point out some...dare we say it…positives…? Let's not jinx it!

As your accounting firm makes adjustments and settles into a new normal—at least for the next few weeks while COVID-19 remains a serious threat—it can be hard for firm leaders and managers to maintain status quo. You’re used to face-to-face meetings, casual chats around the water cooler or coffee pot, and impromptu Q&A when complex client issues arise.

But all that’s changed, which means your leadership style will likely need to change, too.

If there are specific people that business owners trust, their accountant is very high up on the list. Accountants watch over their clients’ finances, make recommendations for cost-saving and growth opportunities, and they ultimately provide their clients with advisory services on how their businesses can and should grow in the future.