Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of working with many successful Managing Partners and other law firm leaders, mostly from midsize firms ranging from New York to Atlanta to Houston.
These exceptional smart, engaging men and women are able to effectively lead their firms while also continuing to run their own books of business.
How they get it all done – and do it so well – is impressive.
I’ve also been intrigued with their leadership style – a bit different than what I have been used to in my professional career.
With the business leaders that I worked with, their focus was more on inspiring their troops to all work together and push their team’s limit to achieve more for themselves, and their company. With law firm leaders, their leadership energies are reluctantly tied up in more tactical firm issues such as partner compensation, increasing associate’s salary levels, and boosting firm profitability.
This difference got me to thinking – is it time for law firm leaders to re-think how they are leading their law firms? And, is now the opportunity for law firms to pursue fresh ideas for freeing up their leaders’ time and their tactical management obligations?
Increasingly, today’s AI world requires that for a relationship oriented law firm to continue to be successful, their firm leaders must have the needed time to direct their personal leadership efforts in a more meaningful, people-first way for the benefit of the firm, and for the firm’s clients.
How Business Leaders Lead
I have been fortunate in my career. I have had the great experience of working closely with some impressive business CEOs and Presidents. I was able to witness – from a front row seat – the incredible leadership abilities of these visionaries up close during my strategic branding/positioning days in New York and Dallas.
These leaders consistently focused on the fundamental qualities that make an organization great:
- Company Vision
- Organizational Culture
- Earned Reputation
These business leaders did not assume that past success would translate in a rosey future. They were always reading the tea leaves and adapting their organizations in a people-first way.
It may be time for law firm leaders to shift and pay more attention to these key strategic areas – inspiring vision, motivating culture, and building outstanding client relationships – which foster an even stronger firm reputation.
As my friend and former client Hugh Fain of the law firm Spotts Fain points out: “Law schools don’t teach law firm management like business schools teach corporate management.” Hugh agrees that leaders of firms today need to work on learning and finding ways to focus more on these corporate leadership priorities, such as “vision, mission, growth, wellness and overall firm morale, culture and camaraderie.”
Is Technology Getting in the Way of Putting People First?
Kirsten Keegan Vasquez, a partner with the legal recruiting firm Major, Lindsey and Africa in a recent article in The American Lawyer relates:
“Change is happening faster than ever in the [legal] industry (and) the navigation of industry change requires different leadership skills.”
In this emerging world of AI and digital communications, law firm leaders need to serve more as a counterbalance and increase their focus on inspiring personal leadership. Law firm leaders must take it on themselves to promote values, tell meaningful stories, and find ways to personally listen to clients more. In other words, the human, personal connection, in the face of AI, is going to be more important than ever.
This will be important for effectively addressing current and future key performance indicators such as:
- Retaining your best lawyers
- Attracting the best law school graduates
- Enhancing client loyalty
Law firms leaders understand that these are essential goals, especially for midsize law firms, striving to thrive in the years ahead.
However, achieving them requires a thoughtful, strategic, and highly personal approach.
As technology continues to reshape the legal industry, there’s a growing risk of law firm cultures becoming more impersonal. Lawyers and clients alike are increasingly relying on digital conveniences—email, Zoom, texting, AI—at the expense of genuine human connection. Now is the time for firms to prioritize personal engagement while at the same time smartly leveraging these advancements, where and when appropriate.
Lean Into Your Competitive Advantage
A firm’s authentic culture and the ability of its partners to develop strong, personal client relationships will serve as most important competitive advantages in the years ahead. Law firm leaders must lead their teams in culture enhancement. And, he or she must also engage their fellow partners in the on going conversation regarding the importance of strong, personal client relationships and how to achieve this in their firm’s unique way. This continual focus on these two areas – culture and relationships – will continue set the firm authentically apart from it’s competition as technology tries to commoditize the legal industry.
Free Up Your Law Firm Leaders to Lead
As any law partner knows, law firm leaders already have more than enough on their respective plates.
Do they really need/can they manage more “to-dos?”
The answer is “yes,” but with help.
Let an Executive Director manage and focus more on the tactical leadership issues such as partner compensation and profitability. And, if you don’t have an Executive Director – hire one, or assign an existing capable member of your administrative staff to this role.
Executive Directors should do more managing. Managing Partners should do more leading.
Managing Partners should be freed from many of their financial and administrative duties, allowing them the time and energy to focus on what they do best – inspiring, motivating, and connecting with their people.
People-based Leadership
It’s time for:
- More listening to associates, partners and clients.
- Constantly asking both inside and outside their executive office: “How can we become a better firm?”
- Consistently evaluating: “Are we living the firm’s values as well as we should?”
- Telling stories to remind people of the specialness of their firm. What they stand for. Why they exist.
- Always demonstrating to clients that the firm really appreciates their business and the special personal relationship that the firm has with this client.
That’s people-based leadership. That’s what law firms need more of now.
A Humble, Yet Bold Law Firm Leader
There is one leader of an AmLaw 100 firm that I have always admired. Their identity will be protected as – knowing this person as I do – I realize that they do not like being put up on a pedestal and getting credit for things.
But I witnessed this individual’s inspiring leadership firsthand. And it made an impression on me.
I saw how the partners and the staff at this firms’ multiple offices reacted to this law firm leader. This person made them feel proud about their firm and their work. It seemed like everyone at the firm had a personal relationship with this guiding force of this impressively large, national firm.
I also heard firsthand from this firm’s clients who consistently praised this Managing Partner’s personal, engaging approach.
One client – who made a point to say “We are by no means near being their biggest client” – shared how this incredibly busy, high profile Managing Partner made it a priority to personally stop by their office once or twice a year just to check in, and simply ask genuine, caring question such as:
“How is your business going?”
“What kind of challenges are you facing these days?”
“How are you personally doing?”
“How can we help?”
This client was blown away by how this very powerful law firm leader would humbly care about her and her company’s well-being. And, importantly, this leader made sure appropriate actions were immediately taken to address any concerns or suggestions that they may have made.
It goes without saying, this kind of leadership builds relationships and fosters loyalty – inside the firm, and out.
The Business Case
This isn’t just a search for “feel good” shepherding of law firms.
Another law firm friend and client, Chip Nunley, partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth, points to the business benefits for law firms prioritizing strong, people-based leadership.
Chip relates:
“[In the business world,] companies with strong CEOs are usually industry segment leaders. So it is with law firms. Those law firms with strong leaders, who are freed up to lead, attract and retain great lawyers perform well in diverse markets and business cycles, and build and maintain a stable of loyal, appreciative clients.”
Every great law firm deserves inspiring leadership—especially now. Law firms should do their best to help their Managing Partners succeed in being an effective, inspiring and people-first firm leader that all lawyers, staff and clients want to follow.