Frederick Sitzberger
Chief executive officer
Sitzberger, Hau & Co S.C.
14640 W. Greenfield Ave, Ste. 200, Brookfield
Industry: Public accounting
Employees: 45
www.sitzhau.com
Frederick Sitzberger recently promoted Carl Marzolf to president at his rapidly growing Brookfield public accounting firm Sitzberger, Hau & Co. S.C. Sitzberger himself took on the newly created role of chief executive officer. Loving problems is the key to great leadership, he says.
“In business, many people talk about problems: Competition, employee, pricing, millennial, etc. All of these problems are easy to solve by loving it. Leadership is the act of problem-solving, quickly and efficiently. Love the problems.
“Anything you love, you enjoy it, you grow it, you fix it, and it allows you to address problems in a positive climate.
“After I started my business, I talked to many practitioners on how to grow, and they all said growing was possible, but managing people was a problem. I decided to love it – love managing people. Upon loving managing people, I realized how few wanted what I wanted. Few enjoyed what I enjoyed; their expectations are all carved out by their own life experiences. Everyone’s need is to afford the life they want. I realized I could provide that atmosphere.
“I began to create an environment for those who are passionate about self-improvement, defer gratification and enjoy being part of a growing environment. I tell everyone, ‘If I do my job right, you’ll be able to start your own firm. You learn the technical, supervisory and marketing skills. However, if I do it right, you’ll choose to stay with us. Always work for yourself, improving you. Never hold back and you’ll be free of the slavery of work.’
“We do this by ‘failing our way to the top.’ Challenge people beyond their comfort zone with the awareness of a safety net below. This is done by providing support when needed and not over-managing or punishing failure. People want to grow and will take the challenge. Always reward for success; be silent in failure. Never keep a record of wrongs.”
