It has often been said that the greatest disruption to your existing practice will not come from internal factors as much as it will from changes in your external environment. This article provides a pragmatic framework for both analyzing external trends and determining which trends may require further attention.

Drawing from African tribal legend and lore, this article explores practices that firms allow to develop that are tolerable and may even have benefit when times are good, but which can rapidly bring disaster down on the firm when it comes under pressure. An approach of dialogue-centred leadership is described, as a means of conflict resolution and ensuring that discussion leads to action.

Fast forwarding through fads from Steven Brill's adaptation of Tom Peter's "In Search of Excellence" for the legal profession, to TQM (Total Quality Management), to enormous marketing departmentsŠ now we arrive at the Branding phenomenon - a license to burn money.

Today, law firm management is being put to the test as never before. “Anybody who says business is great is lying," says one managing partner. “Firms may be telling everyone how they’re ahead of budget,” he says, “but the reality is, that in spite of last year’s results, most will experience significantly declining revenues this year.” One would think that in the face of such dire predictions, firms would be focusing increasing attention on securing the working relationship with their very best clients...

Many good professionals think that the extraordinary achievers—the professionals we all look up to, the exemplary practices—many people think that those people are twice as good or three times as good as the rest will ever be or can ever be. That is wrong. That is nonsense. The very best in the profession are only slightly better than the other good members of the profession...

It's no longer enough to hang a shingle on your door that says, "Internet Law," or "Information Technology." You have to have something to sell."

How can you become an indispensable source of value to your clients? Here's a simple and implementable blueprint for success...

Ten and fifteen years ago there was more of the traditional problem of the professionals where their basic posture was, "We are the experts. You are the idiots in trouble. Let's help you save your bacon." This wasn't necessarily intended but what came out was a very pompous, patronizing, condescending approach to market. Everyone has gotten a bit more humble, but law and CPA firms partners and marketers are still missing the point. David Maister talks to us about what is crucial we do differently.

Marketing ideas are the toughest things in the world to breathe life into, and real advice — information based on experience and knowledge that is really outside the scope of what most professionals within the firm would otherwise be aware of — sometimes seems hard to come by. Gerry Riskin is interviewed here by Capstone Marketing on the trends he sees in the future of the marketing of professional service firms and understanding the relationship between the marketers and the professionals.

Jack Newman is the kind of lawyer who, when one looks at the quality of his practice and the power of his credentials, one would think shouldn't have time for practice group management. He is accomplished in a specialized niche field, the energy group at Morgan Lewis & Bockius in Washington, D.C., and has built the kind of practice and leads the kind of team wherein one could say, "Well if there's anybody I'd excuse from this because they're so powerfully good, he'd be the one I'd would excuse." Perhaps some of the success that he and his group have enjoyed have been because he has not ignored team leadership. We have the pleasure of bringing you Jack Newman to tell you himself...