Leadership Development

If you are a Partner, Senior Manager or a financial executive, there are several ways that David Abramson & Associates can help you achieve career optimization:

• Executive coaching: Leadership is a learned skill even for “born leaders’. With that mentality, David Abramson strives to help individuals learn how to be the best leader they can be. David’s formal executive coaching consulting--a process of continuous communication and structured sessions--provides the interaction desired to be more effective in the individual’s current and/or future positions. Executive coaching for senior financial executives (including partners and senior managers) is available to help these talented executives improve, to be even more successful and to maintain the career momentum they’ve worked so hard to establish.
• Informal coaching: In addition to formal coaching, David is available as an informal coach (always on a confidential basis) to clients wrestling with strategic personnel and operating issues as well as *professionals seeking advice*. We are always open to discussions about any specific work-related issues that need an experienced leader’s perspective and/or conversations about professional opportunities or ways to advance an individual’s career.
• Mentoring: Strong managing partners increase their capacity for leadership by finding their own mentors and advisors to help build healthy, profitable organizations. On a very limited basis, David will consult one on one with managing partners and their leadership team to help create and implement their vision, develop strategic direction and increase profitability of their firms. A key conversation may open new thoughts and shift dynamics. There are very few issues facing a managing partner that David has not dealt with directly. Having an experienced person for a “sounding board” can make all the difference in a highly competitive environment.
• Succession: Succession is often one of the biggest issues facing firms. David can consult with senior partners to help focus on difficult but critical decisions to improve their own and team performance, realign key personnel and to identify future firm leaders and owners.

“I am not a therapist or specialized executive coach. Rather, I take a very pragmatic approach - helping clients focus on strategy, operations and especially senior personal development. I use my personal experiences of having had many senior leaders reporting to me as well as advising CEOs and owners of client companies. We do formal executive coaching on a very limited basis for Executive or Managing Partners, CEOs and CFO level individuals.” - D.H. Abramson

Managing Partner – West Coast Firm

Summary: Executive coaching, mentoring and succession planning were issues addressed by Abramson in this engagement.

“He wasted no time grasping our situation, then proposing and facilitating a management reorganization which will maximize partner contributions………”

This comment was received after the completion of an assignment related to a demand for more effective firm leadership and to provide coaching and strategic planning services for the client.

Direct Admit Partner

Summary: A partner was directly admitted under Abramson’s leadership. He advanced from Office Department Head to a Managing Partner role and ultimately a National Functional Managing Partner. After Abramson had founded David Abramson & Associates, he continued to coach this individual through subsequent career and employment changes.

This partner memorialized his feelings about Abramson upon his leaving the firm: “I think back over the years and reflect on lessons learned”.  Then he listed 18 such lessons; among them were:  

1. “Respect for others; listen to what others have to offer.”
2. “Hire the best – settle for nothing less.”
3. “Don’t get involved unless you plan to take a leadership role.”
4. “Get involved.”
5. “Always look for a better way.”
6. “Accept the challenge.”
7. “Have fun at your job.”

He then thanked David for all he had done for him (and the partnership) and most of all for his friendship.

College Recruit developed into Abramson’s successor as Managing Partner

Summary: This individual was recruited directly from a college campus after he had an internship with a Big 4 firm. He worked directly for Abramson on engagements and as a department head as he advanced to Partnership. He was a natural candidate to become Abramson’s successor as Managing Partner.

 This partner also memorialized his feelings about Abramson upon leaving the firm. These included: “I carry this saying with me at all times: ‘Management is the process of getting things done through people’.  At this you excelled. I look around the firm and see many examples of those who benefitted from your development. Your legacy of excellence will be long and strong. Thank you for all we have shared and all you have done for me.”

Client Companies

• How Can We Help
• Retained Executive Searches
• Retained Consultative Executive Search Process
• Contingent-Referral Placement Services
• Leadership Development
• Client Service Values