Page 11 - Law Firm Management

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Law Firm Management | MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 | S11

objectives and (5) the competitive market(s) leadership in order to grow and satisfy the • Possess the instinct to know when to 8. Conduct appropriate discussions with

in which the irm practices.
professional, economic and personal objec- consult with and secure support of partners the more inluential partners about initiatives,
The terms “leadership” and “manage- tives of its members.
• Build a consensus on key issues prior to
strategies and policy issues in advance of the
ment” of a law irm must go hand in hand presenting initiatives
meeting (where the subject will be discussed),
but they are not synonymous. In simplistic What Partners Expect From Firm Leaders
• Financial knowledge and good business
as it will build support for the proposal.
terms, the leadership role is the ability of an judgment
9. Always obtain critical “buy-in” from the
individual or group of partners to inluence What kind of person makes a good leader? • Be decisive . but build consensus
more inluential partners before “going out on
other attorneys—partners and associates—to Generally, lawyers are not recruited to a law • Listen to all points of view
a limb” about certain questionable initiatives.
follow in the achievement of common goals. irm on the basis of their leadership skills. • Willingness to take prudent risks
10. Never go into a meeting at which a new
The management role, on the other hand, is Consequently, lawyers’ leadership skills are • Appreciation of irm culture
policy issue will be discussed without discuss-
the coordination by the managing partner greatly varied.
• Maintain conidence
ing these issues with certain partners prior
and/or by the management committee of the The requisites for leadership are, in this • Be accessible
to the meeting so that he or she will not be
cooperative activities of all or most of the day and age, well-known. The leader must • Always have a few minutes to listen
surprised by the outcome of the discussion.
attorneys for executing the functions of plan- garner respect and support, have clout and • Provide recognition and praise
11. Pay attention to his or her own personal
ning, controlling, organizing, stafing, directing wield it when necessary. The leader’s skills • Communicate with associates and staff habits. Every move you make as the man-
and taking corrective actions, as required.
must combine judgment, timing and vision.
It is my opinion that collaboration is the
aging partner will be subject to discussion
Leaders are innovative and focus more on Those partners who are successful leaders best way to generate ideas and options for
ideas and the abilities and talents of other must keep the objectives of the irm in proper leading the irm. In the more professionally and interpretation by other partners. That
includes how early you arrive at the ofice;
members of the irm to achieve the irm’s perspective. They must be able to rise above and inancially successful irms, much gets how you relate to attorneys and staff in the
immediate and longer-term objectives. Manag- the “self” and understand that the good of done by teams of partners pulling together. hallway; how you allocate your time; whether
ers focus on process and concentrate more their irms must come irst.
The irm, not the leader, becomes the star. your time is submitted in a timely manner;
on how things get done.
The leader serves primarily as the one who how you prepare and conduct yourself at all
Clearly, in any law irm there may be lead- articulates/recommends the irm’s goals and meetings of partners, associates and staff;
ers who are not managers and managers who plans for accomplishing its objectives.
how attentive you are to following up on
are not leaders. In the ideal situation there are Leaders are innovative and
individual partners or a committee of partners focus more on ideas and the your accounts receivables and write-downs
whose members possess the appropriate bal- Hints for Efective Communications
and write-offs; how long it takes for you to
abilities and talents of other respond to partners’ requests; etc.
ance of leadership and management skills for Communication is essential for collabora- 12. Attend occasional practice group meet-
the irm to be professionally and inancially members of the irm to achieve tion, and the latter is essential to try to gain ings.
successful.
the irm’s immediate and longer- proper partner “buy-in” to implement new 13. Assisted by the director of adminis-
and innovative initiatives to progress the irm.
tration and/or members of the management
Partners Must Be Willing
term objectives. Managers focus To insure that the firm’s leaders have committee, Heads of offices and practice
enough time to communicate properly with
Two organizational components that are on process and concentrate the attorneys, the managing partner should groups and other partners, develop action
essential for a professionally and inancially more on how things get done.
attempt to delegate as much of the day-to- plans to implement your recommended ini-
successful law irm—leadership and manage- day administrative work as possible to the tiatives before promoting these initiative to
the partners.
ment—call for all of the partners to agree to irm’s Director of Administration or Ofice 14. Establish and announce dates for stand-
subordinate some degree of their indepen- One signiicant problem in many of today’s Administrator. The managing partner should:
ing meetings well in advance of the meeting
dence and autonomy to a managing partner law irms is the paucity of partners who are 1. Assisted by the management commit- so that partners will enter these dates on
or a management committee. As the result, true irm leaders. There are plenty of partners tee, the Heads of each ofice in multi-ofice
those partners who are perceived to be irm who are capable of managing, but, in the eyes irms and practice group heads, recommend their calendars.
leaders and other members of the irm are of the majority of partners, most lack the goals and objectives for the irm, each prac- 15. Conduct “360 degree evaluations.”
typically connected by a formal or informal leadership component.
tice group, ofice and partner.
16. Ask partners for input for meetings.
understanding that bind them morally, intel- During the 48 years that I have been 2. Take the time to schedule “warm and 17. Circulate meeting agendas at least 48
hours prior to a management committee and
lectually and emotionally in their desire to retained by partners as a management con- fuzzy” lunches with partners in each of the partners’ meetings.
achieve common goals.
sultant to assess and make recommendations irm’s ofices, as appropriate.
18. Circulate copies of the minutes of man-
All of the attorneys in the irm need to to improve their irm’s inancial position and 3. Conduct at least annual management agement committee and partners’ meetings at
recognize that the impetus for successful its management processes, many mid-level retreats attended by members of the manage-
leadership is derived from the willingness and younger partners have referred to certain ment committee, heads of each ofice, and the least 48 hours after management committee
of all irm members to “follow” and “be gov- senior partners as the “heart and soul of their heads of each practice group to develop and and partners’ meetings.
erned.” In other words, the partners must irms.” It is curious that in a great many cases, discuss strategies for progressing the irm.
strike a balance between their rights as own- most of these mid-level and younger partners 4. Make partners’ meetings as productive Concluding Comments
ers and their responsibilities as citizens of are hard-pressed to identify other members as possible. Circulate proposed agendas
In assessing his or her leadership func-
the irm. They must relinquish some personal of the irm who they perceive as possessing before the meeting; discuss critical top- tion, the managing partner should realize that
prerogatives in order to achieve the overall the appropriate leadership component. Below ics with the more inluential partners; ask today’s attorneys’ expectations regarding the
results that they would not be able to attain is a list of what the signiicant majority of the partners for input about topics/issues to be
on their own.
above mid-level and younger partners said discussed; broadcast the results of meeting practice of law may well be different from
In theory, all partners are created equal. By they expect from the leaders of their irms:
to partners.
the expectations that attorneys held 10 years
dint of partnership status they are accorded • Acknowledged trust in the leader’s moti- 5. Be very careful when attempting to solve ago and longer. These expectations may have
the same rights and privileges. As many irms vation, fairness and respect of colleagues
problems by email. Even the best solutions to changed in regard to hours of work, specializa-
discover, though, this is not the case in prac- • Demonstrated willingness to subordinate problems may be misinterpreted when they tion, income, risk, independence and ethics.
tice. Invariably, each partner has his or her their personal motivation to the beneit of are sent via email. Depending upon the issue A firm’s leader needs to consider how
the social, educational and economic back-
own idea about how to perform the job, and the irm
to be addressed, it is much better for the man-
partners exercise their authority accordingly.
• Can lead with strength when circum- aging partner to meet briely and personally grounds of the new crop of attorneys have
In some firms, the leadership role is stances dictate change
with the partner who has asked the question.
changed, and how these changes may be
assumed easily and naturally, because the • An ability to bridge the natural constitu- 6. Avoid being chained to your desk. Make relected in their attitudes, needs and expecta-
partner serving as the managing partner may ent barriers, i.e., age, gender, departmental, the time to walk the halls of your ofice and tions. Ultimately, these changes will be relect-
be either a founding partner or a partner who to achieve successful results
make it a point to regularly visit each of the ed in the irm’s recruiting activities, turnover,
controls a signiicant client base. In irms • Clear and convincing business acumen irm’s other ofices.
work product and ields of specialization.
in which the partners are relatively young and technical skills to assure leadership
7. Be mindful of the vocal minority who In the inal analysis, it is the work that
binds and uniies the various components
and inexperienced, the process of “natural • Leadership . but not dictatorship
constantly “revisit” issues because they
selection,” as it were, may be somewhat more • An optimistic, realistic vision of the irm may not agree with the majority of the part- of the irm—that is, the attorneys. The pru-
dificult, if not virtually impossible. In situa- • Focus on strategic issues rather than
ners, thinking that if they belabor the point dent leader will recognize the need to chart
tions in which no partner surfaces as a natural day-to-day administrative matters
long enough, the former will wear-down the a course that mediates between the require-
leader or no one wants the job, the irm must • Build relationships with each of the
majority who may be willing to concede to ments of the practice of law and the needs
take aggressive action if it wishes to obtain
partners
the minority to end the discussion.
of those who perform the work.