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Business Risk Services
Our Business Risk Services team deliver practical and pragmatic solutions that support clients in growing and protecting the inherent value of their businesses.
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Corporate Finance and Deal Advisory
We offer a dedicated team of experienced individuals with a focus on successfully executing transactions for corporates and financial institutions. We offer an integrated approach, with our corporate finance specialists working seamlessly with tax and other specialists to ensure that every angle is covered.
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Economic Advisory
Our all-island Economics Advisory team combines expertise in economics and business with a wealth of experience across the public and private sectors.
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Forensic Accounting
We have a different way of doing business by delivering real insight through a combination of technical rigour, commercial experience and intuitive judgment. We take pride in delivering responsive and tailored solutions to all our clients, capitalising on the wealth of experience housed within our Belfast and wider Forensics team
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People and Change Consulting
The Grant Thornton People & Change Consulting practice works with clients on these issues as well as on all aspects of how they attract, retain, engage develop, deploy and lead their people.
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Restructuring
We work with a wide variety of clients and stakeholders such as high street banks, private equity funds, directors, government agencies and creditors to implement solutions which provide the best possible outcomes.
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Technology Consulting
Motivating and assisting our clients to pursue, maintain and secure the benefits of digital solutions is at the core of our Digital Transformation teams' agenda and goals. We work with business leaders to deliver efficient digital strategies and operating models that provide new or enhanced capabilities.
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Corporate and International Tax
Northern Ireland businesses face further challenges as they operate in the only part of the UK that has a land border with a country offering a lower tax rate.
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Employer Solutions
Our team specialises in remuneration and incentive planning and works closely with employers, shareholders and employees to ensure that business strategies are aligned and goals achieved in the most tax efficient, cost-effective manner.
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Entrepreneur and Private Client Taxes
Our team of experienced advisors are on hand to guide you through any decision or transaction ranging from the establishment of new business ventures, to realising value on exit, to succession planning and providing for loved ones.
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Global Mobility Services
Grant Thornton Ireland offer a different approach to managing global mobility. We have brought together specialists from our tax, global payroll, people and change and financial accounting teams across Ireland and Northern Ireland, while drawing on the knowledge and insights of our global network of over 143 offices of mobility professionals to provide you with a holistic approach to managing global mobility.
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Outsourced Payroll
Our outsourced service provides valued service to over 150 separate PAYE schemes. These ranging from 1 to 1000 employees, working for micro, SME and global employers. The service is supported by the integrated network of tax and global mobility teams and the wider Grant Thornton network delivering a seamless service. Experienced staff deliver a personal service built around your business needs.
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Tax Disputes and Investigations
Our Tax Disputes and Investigation team is made up of tax experts and former HMRC investigators who have years of experience in dealing with a variety of tax investigations. Our expertise and insight can guide you through all interactions, keeping your cost at a minimum while allowing you to continue with the day to day running of your business.
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VAT and Indirect Taxes
At Grant Thornton (NI) LLP, our team helps Northern Ireland businesses manage their UK and global indirect tax risks which, as transactional taxes, can quickly become big liabilities.
A good leader demonstrates work-life balance and a little humility!
Neil Hughes
18 Feb 2020
Leadership requires humility, the ability to listen, inspiring trust, and role-modelling work-life balance. Leading others also requires good character and an ability to have honest, constructive conversations. A great leader gets results by offering a vision, aligning actions with achievable goals, celebrating wins and leading through change.
Leaders must model the work-life balance your company says it values. People need to see the boss take a holiday! Everyone talks about work-life balance, but hardly anyone achieves a perfect balance. To make it to the top in a competitive corporate culture, you must work harder than everyone else. The line between work and personal life blurs. You will be less productive if you don’t take breaks, but nearly 24% of Americans take no vacation at all, according to a recent study.
When leaders themselves don’t have a life, they not only look pitiful in the eyes of their teams, they also set a very poor standard for how others behave, consciously or unconsciously. You can’t just advocate work-life balance; you must model it for your teams. No one will aspire to your thankless, no-holiday job. The most influential people are models of work-life balance. Admit that you struggle with it, so your colleagues see you, too, are vulnerable to overwork.
As a leader, you don’t have all the answers. Show more humility by listening better and not overreacting. The opposite of humility is arrogance, and through arrogance you can quickly lose credibility. There quite a few studies that show humility is the quality that good leaders value the most. Humble leaders don’t need outside validation. They are outward-looking and seek to help others. They find that being humble builds character. However, humility requires listening to others. Many of us are good at asking lots of questions, but not giving our people space to share their ideas. When you don’t listen, you fall into making assumptions and evaluating, advising and probing according to your experience – not based on what the other person tells you.
If you’re an effective leader, you already have a reputation for driving results. The question is, what kind of reputation? Demonstrate empathy by taking the time to understand someone else’s needs, goals and pressures. Wait for people to ask you for advice instead of offering it unsolicited. Don’t interrupt during conversations, because that shows disrespect. Part of good listening is knowing how to regulate your emotions. If you hear something that upsets you, step back instead of reacting. Take responsibility for your reactions. To be prepared not to overreact, examine your values and anticipate what might trigger you.
And finally - be trustworthy and don’t overcommit. Do your colleagues trust you? Do you trust them? Corporate cultures have evolved to be more transparent, so the level of trust will be obvious as well. To be part of creating trust, declare your intentions upfront, and expect others to do so as well. When you make a commitment, you build hope; when you keep it, you build trust as a leader.