The Power of “How”
I propose that you join the most effective law firm leaders in the world and start asking “how,“ rather than “whether.” Let us start with an illustration. Here are two questions that a managing partner might ask a practice group leader. Which do you think will lead to better results? How do you think you […]
Partners in Conflict
No matter how strong a firm’s culture seems to be, there will be periods when some partners are in conflict. The conflict may not be material – perhaps a shouting match in a meeting that later calms down, or it may be a brief outbreak of longstanding animosities that are normally avoided by keeping the […]
One of the Most Important Discussions Law Firm Leaders Will Have: Welcoming New Associates or Graduate Lawyers to the Firm
New associates or graduate lawyers follow a long and mostly arduous path through the university and local law society systems before they can join a law firm. They arrive at their first law firm with mixed feelings of excitement, trepidation and uncertainty, but mostly they are yearning to learn the ropes and do well. As […]
Law firm brand success calls for leadership, education and structure!
Brand is such an important asset and so fundamental to the success or failure of every law firm that it is a strategic, not an operational or administrative, issue. It is therefore surprising how few firms invest in developing a common firm-wide understanding of brand and a supporting strategy – or put in the effort […]
Getting the job done: Some practical examples
A year ago, I published an EIC article titled ‘Forget systems and structures – getting the job done is the key’. In that article I suggested effort often goes into putting in systems or structures, but not enough emphasis is put on ensuring the success and implementation of projects – and that, consequently, results don’t […]
Drive Law Firm Success by Helping Each Lawyer Succeed
(This article was originally published in the February 2017 edition of TLOMA Today, the newsletter of The Law Office Management Association of Ontario.) In my many years of consultation with law firms around the globe, I have learned that the most successful firms are those that offer the best leadership for their individual lawyers. One of […]
Ed Wesemann on Leadership
In a recent Edge International Communiqué we paid tribute to and farewelled our fondly remembered late colleague, Ed Wesemann, a pillar of the law firm consulting world for the past 30 years. In support of a conference program on leadership I was running in New Zealand in 2015, Ed kindly prepared a short video on […]
Superstar or Renegade? Keeping Toxic Lawyers Out of Your Partnership
“Superstar employees are the obsession of the corporate world,” a recent article in the Harvard Business Review (HBR) begins. “They’re highly sought after, given the most attention and the best opportunities, generously rewarded, and expressly reassured after setbacks.” Does this remind you of any members of your law firm’s equity partner class? Especially those recruited laterally […]
The Evolving Role of General Counsel in India
“The good lawyer is not the man who has an eye to every side and angle of contingency, and qualifies all his qualifications, but who throws himself on your part so heartily, that he can get you out of a scrape.” Ralph Waldo Emerson What are the essential qualities of a good lawyer? Someone who […]
Matching Authority and Responsibility
Many law firms remain acutely political organizations with much of the firm’s decision-making having to run the gamut of opinion-seeking, back-scratching and adroit manoeuvring before the management team can make significant progress. It has long been recognised that the extreme consensus model (whereby every major decision gets delayed until the achievement of positive ratification) is […]