Spend time with any corporate tax department and you hear the same story. There are no quiet months. Filing deadlines overlap, reporting never stops, and new regulations arrive before the old ones are fully implemented. Expectations are constant, and the pace keeps rising.

Tax teams sit at the crossroads of the business. They manage compliance across jurisdictions, national and local taxes, direct and indirect obligations, and complex transfer pricing documentation. They are expected to deliver transparency, control, and precision while creating value through planning, structuring, and process efficiency. Leadership expects predictability. Regulators expect speed.

Lately I have been speaking with many recent retirees, including former partners like me, who are stepping into consulting or coaching after long careers. I am also spending time with fledgling entrepreneurs I have been networking with and sometimes coaching as they build their first book of business. And I am staying close to my Hudson Institute colleagues, a group I completed an intensive executive coaching program with this year, many of whom are starting practices of their own.

I’ve spent most of my life leading teams, advising clients, and helping people win business. Those moments were exciting and meaningful. But the joy I’ve found in coaching feels different. It’s quieter, deeper, and somehow more lasting.

A few months ago, I started coaching a partner who everyone in his firm would describe as a star. Sharp, reliable, respected. He had built an impressive book of business and was the person clients trusted to handle the most complex issues.

But he was also exhausted. His days started early and ended late. He led multiple teams, reviewed endless work, joined every client call, and never missed a deadline. His calendar was full and his inbox overflowing. On paper, he looked like the model of productivity. In reality, he was stuck.

He had built the career he always wanted, but it no longer felt like the life he wanted.

The one thing holding him back wasn’t skill. It was space.

The first Monday after I left PwC was quiet. Too quiet.

For decades, my mornings started with a wall of emails, nonstop calls, and a calendar that left no space to breathe. Then suddenly, it was just me, my laptop, and silence.

I had planned for this new chapter. I thought I was ready. But the truth is, no amount of planning prepares you for stepping into a new identity.

I’ve been in every seat you can take when it comes to training. Early in my career, I was the participant scribbling notes, hoping something would stick. Later, I was the leader approving budgets, expecting a return that rarely came. Then I was the trainer at the front of the room, trying to make the material come alive. Today, as a creator and facilitator of training programs and executive coach, I meet people weeks or months after they’ve been through a program. By then the question isn’t just whether they’ve been able to use it. Sometimes it’s whether they even remember it. And rarely is the question whether the training created measurable change in behavior or helped them improve results for clients and colleagues.

Experts still matter. But in today’s market, builders win.

AI is shrinking billable hours. Procurement is tougher. Competition looks the same on paper. Being technically excellent or well-liked is no longer enough to sustain a career in professional services.

The difference-makers now are builders: the professionals who create momentum with clients, spark new conversations, connect dots across their firm, and turn relationships into opportunities.

Leadership doesn’t announce itself with a spotlight. It shows up in the quiet choices you make when nobody is watching. A tough conversation with a team member. The way you respond to a family crisis. The choice to speak up when it would be easier to stay quiet. These are the moments where real leadership lives. And they’re the moments I spend most of my coaching conversations exploring.

Sam was brilliant. Numbers came easy. Running incredibly complex tax models and analytics that were beyond most of his peers were second nature to him. For most of his career, that was enough to make him indispensable.

Then AI showed up. Suddenly, the work Sam had mastered, the stuff that once took days of focus, was being done in minutes. Faster, cleaner, cheaper, and actually much better and more comprehensive. His edge was disappearing right in front of him.

Big stage moments never feel small. Whether it’s your first partner meeting, your Broadway debut, or stepping onto the field as a rookie in your first professional game, the nerves hit hard. That doesn’t mean you don’t belong. It means you’ve earned your place and the moment matters.

When you’re starting out in any professional services business, whether it’s coaching, law, or consulting, it’s easy to get caught up in trying to sell yourself. You feel the pressure: you need clients, you need the next sale, and you need it now. So you put yourself out there, share your qualifications, pitch your services, and hope someone bites. I sincerely believe the real key to success isn’t about pushing a service or closing a deal. It’s about relating deeply and authentically with your clients.

Non-equity partner roles aren’t just a law firm thing anymore. Many mid-sized and large accounting and consulting firms now use similar titles to designate high-potential leaders who haven’t yet taken on an equity partner role. It’s become the proving ground for those expected to lead the firm into the next generation.

In the legal profession, 86 of the Am Law 100 now have non-equity tiers. Thirty years ago, it was under 30. These roles give rising leaders three to five years to demonstrate they can build relationships, lead teams, and grow the business. Some make it. Some don’t. The difference often comes down to how well they’re coached.

Since launching The Schuckman Group, I’ve had a lot of conversations about leadership, coaching, and growth. One theme keeps coming up: the need for real Pursuit leadership.

Firms like my former firm, a global accounting and consulting firm, know that having the right resources to lead a competitive pursuit can tip the scale between losing and winning. Firms that don’t have those talented Pursuit resources often fear that building a full in-house Pursuit team can be expensive, and the roles involved (especially those tied to writing and coordination) are being rapidly reshaped by AI.

So how can firms get the strategic support they need, win more work, and still manage their investment?

Leaders today are under intense and mounting pressure. AI is moving faster than most business models can absorb. Political and regulatory uncertainty is constant. Clients want more value, faster. Teams are stretched thin. The economic outlook feels fragile. And yet, through it all, leaders are expected to drive results, maintain a strong presence, and deliver growth.

I’ve partnered with Dr. Jennifer Byrnes—an expert in behavioral science and a longtime friend—to create a training experience built for the leadership challenges of 2025—and we’ve authored this article to describe the details behind our program.

For years, the first week of July was a full stop. At the global firm where I spent most of my career, the July 4th holiday meant a complete shutdown—no calls, no client work, just a rare stretch of quiet in an otherwise relentless calendar.

It was always a good time to reflect. But this year, the pause feels different. Because this year, I’m not going back.

This week marks the beginning of something I’ve long planned for. A new chapter I’ve been building toward for quite some time. It’s not an end. It’s a launch…

Crossing the finish line of a major accomplishment can bring a mix of pride, disorientation, and reflection. I remember finishing my first half Ironman after months of disciplined training. I expected triumph. What I felt was: Now what?

That feeling isn’t rare. I see it often in leadership coaching—especially when someone earns a hard-fought promotion. After years of commitment, resilience, and sacrifice, reaching senior leadership can feel like the top of the mountain. But that summit often comes with unexpected solitude.

This piece is about what comes next—why senior leadership can feel lonely, and how the right executive coach can make all the difference.

When people think about coaching, they usually picture one-on-one sessions—a coach and an individual working through goals, challenges, or opportunities. And that’s understandable; one-on-one coaching is the most well-known coaching format. But team coaching can be equally, if not more, impactful. As someone who has worked extensively with teams, I’ve seen firsthand how transformative it can be. One particular experience with a leader named David and his team reinforced just how powerful this approach can be—both for the team and for me as their coach. 

In my nearly four decades of working at a large accounting and consulting firm, I’ve had the privilege to observe, collaborate with, coach, and advise some of the most accomplished professionals across a variety of industries. These experiences, spanning companies, continents, and cultures, have led me to one profound realization: not only does everyone in business benefit from having a coach, but the right coach—one with both deep coaching expertise and practical business acumen—can be a game-changer.