Excellence in Leadership

The bait was set, and the fish took hold.   The fish being Pete Nichols, CEO of The Nichols Accounting Group, and the bait being a surprise honor.    The employees of the firm recently nominated Pete for “Excellence in Leadership”, a category recognized at the Nampa Chamber’s Evening of Excellence.

The Excellence in Leadership award recognizes an individual who exemplifies innovative and proactive leadership, inspiring others to contribute to the community and their organization’s mission. They develop strong, productive relationships with employees, colleagues and other community business leaders. This individual values the contributions of those they work with, and supports developmental opportunities for others in their business and community.

The employees kept the secret of the award, and they arrived, prepared to celebrate with him, and honor him.  It’s safe to say, the surprise worked.

Here’s what some of the employees had to say about Pete:

Pete Nichols founded Nichols Accounting in 1974.  As he approaches his 40 year anniversary, it’s both interesting and amazing to see what has transpired during that time.  Forty years later, he’s built a firm with three locations and 22 regular full time staff.  He’s touched many people over the years; both clients and staff.  As any great leader does, he relentlessly works to create a united vision, team harmony, a common passion to strive for excellence, and a dedication towards servitude.  According to Pete, “Leadership is a position of service”.  He demonstrates this through his actions and through the core values of the firm, for which he lives by and teaches:

• Conduct business with Christian principles, Christian character, and moral integrity
• Be innovative and proactive advocates for our clients
• Create and maintain a healthy work environment of lifetime learners
• Embrace sustained change
• Invest our time and talents in our communities
• Strive for excellence in everything

Leadership is said to be both an art and a science; The art of taking creative ideas and personalities and blending them together while always evolving, and the science of basic principles and fundamentals.  Probably the most important characteristic in a great leader is “servitude”.  Pete encourages the team to play a role in molding the culture, crafting innovation, generating thought leadership, and as a result, creating a community within the organization.  He puts the team and the mission first, while always being a servant to the greater good, for all concerned.

“When I think of an excellent leader ‘boss’, I truly think of Pete Nichols. I have been with Pete for a little over a year now and he has been the best leader I have ever had the privilege of working for. He is inspirational, he respects the opinions of others and has great relationships with his family, friends, colleagues and other business owners. Pete is the definition of ‘Excellence in Leadership’.”

~ Nichole Collingwood, Nampa Receptionist

“Pete leads by example and will not ask of someone what he has not or would not do himself.  His leadership envelopes the whole person and looks to see beyond the visible to develop the strengths within.  He strives to model integrity in each area of his life, whether it be business or personal affairs.”

~ Stephanie Miller, Payroll Specialist

“Pete exemplifies strength of character, loyalty to his employees, dignity in his actions, and integrity in all that he does.  He inspires synergy – together we are greater than the sum of our parts.  While he humbly identifies himself only as a part of something great, we all recognize that he is the catalyst that energizes our organization.  As such, we proudly acknowledge him as our leader.”

~ Karyn Scott, CPA, Nampa Office

“Pete demonstrates leadership excellence through continued learning and commitment to best practices.  He effectively manages a balance between business goals, care for clients, and care for employees.  He operates with  integrity in all of his decisions which are guided by his Christian beliefs and principles.    It is truly an honor to work with Pete and he has earned my complete trust.”

 ~ Doni Richardson, HR and Admin

“I continue to be in awe of his dynamic and unquenchable thirst for improvement.  At 67, Pete continues to be energized by learning and constant improvement.  He is always looking for new and better ways to do what we do.  He’s actively involved in managing clients, while continuing to focus on driving us forward.  He has an insatiable desire for learning, consuming books, attending conferences, and seeking mentorship from others.  He’s a model for us all to be proactive and innovative, and he creates an environment with an emphasis on a healthy work environment of lifetime learners.”

~ Doug Lamm, Firm Partner

“Pete is excellent in his technical abilities that he has developed over 40 years of experience, but his true leadership excellence is displayed when we get to see him lead with humility and with being real with people.  He readily admits he does not have it all figured out all the time but is striving daily to be better than he was the day before.  This real sincerity with which he treats others, his employees, his partners, and his profession is what makes him an excellent leader.”

~ Trevor Gunstream, Firm Partner