if you want to become a successful accountant you should have to follow a professional accountancy body like ACCA, CA , ICAEW and many other and then follow their Rule and regulation
like pass exam and then gain practical experience in accountancy or in Audit firm..................
I want to share my 15 years of experience that every Businessman specialy Smart Businessman is a best accountant he is better than a CA to whom he hired too , and if you think yourself a businessman either you are or you are not , you will be the most successful accountant.