{"id":4907,"date":"2021-07-13T13:42:35","date_gmt":"2021-07-13T13:42:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tpcleadership.com\/de-en\/uncategorized\/the-future-leadership-of-law-firms\/"},"modified":"2025-03-06T15:57:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T15:57:08","slug":"the-future-leadership-of-law-firms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tpcleadership.com\/de-en\/developing-leaders\/the-future-leadership-of-law-firms\/","title":{"rendered":"The future leadership of law firms \u2013 and why the trend needs to change"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leadership in law firms is often underestimated <\/span>and while this tendency finds its basis in a flawed perspective, there are ways in which leadership in law firms also needs to rise to the occasion to prove it wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n

Richard Macklin<\/a> joins us to present his insights on the subject. As a former Global Vice Chair and Global Client Partner of Dentons, the world\u2019s largest law firm, he is uniquely positioned as a consultant to speak to the challenges facing leadership in the legal sector.<\/span><\/p>\n

Motivational vs. inspirational leadership<\/b><\/h2>\n

Richard differentiates between two kinds of leadership. The first, motivational leadership, is common in the legal sector and other traditionally-run industries like investment banking. It\u2019s primarily about a little pep talk and the exchange of performance for promotions and pay rises.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut inspirational leadership is different,\u201d says Richard. \u201cIt\u2019s about getting people so fired up and excited about what they\u2019re doing that they get in the flow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This second kind of leadership has a lot more to do with vision. And this is often a challenge for lawyers, who, Richard says, tend to think more about the short term. Time-based billing reinforces this behaviour, since it encourages people to focus on their own outputs instead of on the bigger picture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Richard warns that the risk of inspirational leadership in a law firm is that not everyone will warm to it \u2013 and those who are accustomed to motivational leadership can even feel disenfranchised. But there are ways to mitigate that risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to bring people with you<\/b><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re going to break people out of silo thinking, you can\u2019t create a vision for an alternative in a silo either. Richard describes how partners can offer strong leadership while inviting the input of others in the firm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very much about listening and asking better questions,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can still then say, \u2018Thank you, we hear you, we understand your perspective, and, while we\u2019re not going to do what you suggest, we will do <\/span>this<\/span><\/i>\u2026\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Bringing people in on the vision makes it easier to then empower them to <\/span>work it out outwork <\/span>it in their own way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf the vision isn\u2019t one that everyone can articulate, follow and express themselves, the leadership has failed,\u201d says Richard. \u201cVision and values need to be developed together with the people you\u2019re leading, they need to be super simple and they need to be lived by you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Offering strong leadership isn\u2019t about rigidity. Richard explains that empowerment is about trusting people on the output instead of trying to control the input. Ultimately, delighting the client is what matters. If that means a lawyer delivers what you need at 4am from their kitchen rather than during the 9-5 at their desk, so be it.<\/span><\/p>\n

To keep people working out a vision, you need more than financial incentives alone. But while law firms are typically good at offering rewards for hard work, they\u2019re not always good at recognition.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRewards are important,\u201d Richard says, \u201cbut it\u2019s also important to say thank you \u2013 for living the values, for trusting people, for stepping up like a leader. You can say \u2018Oh and here\u2019s a bit of money as well.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The risk of taking the wheel<\/b><\/h2>\n

Even when you live out the best leadership practices, working as a partner in a law firm is often a thankless task, Richard warns. You can\u2019t wait to be understood or valued by the full partnership. Any fulfillment you feel is going to be set by your own goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can no longer let the practice run itself while you\u2019re on the golf course,\u201d says Richard. \u201cNow the job of being a partner just gets harder and harder and harder. The target on your back simply grows bigger.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This difficulty is only exacerbated at chief executive level. It\u2019s a very tough job, managing hundreds of people who all think they run the business, Richard explains. When people step up, they\u2019re usually brilliant lawyers but are still amateurs when it comes to leadership. They might be gifted, but they\u2019re unlikely to have the capabilities of leaders in other sectors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLooking outside the legal sector to bring in professional leadership would be a smart approach,\u201d says Richard. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to see a culture change, you want to bring in an executive who has spent their life being developed and honed as a leader.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It might be difficult for lawyers to get behind a leader who hasn\u2019t lived the life of a lawyer themselves. But might be an effective way to dislodge some of the short-term, motivational leader thinking that is holding back a firm\u2019s potential. One way or another, the trend needs to change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking to make an impact in your department or firm? <\/span>Get in touch<\/span><\/a> to find out how TPC can help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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