Leadership
Leadership: view from associates in private practice The Quick Read Can I be a leader as an associate in practice? Absolutely, you can demonstrate skills by leading on projects at work, supporting other staff or taking on roles outside work which develop your leadership skills. There were particularly rave reviews from associates about learning how to lead by participating in legal or non-legal committees. Working in voluntary groups requires strong leadership as no-one is obliged to listen to you and will only do so if you develop skills to encourage, inspire and involve people to get things done. Many associates did not feel their leadership skills were recognised so proving them outside work is empowering. Clearly in some firms there is difficulty in finding the balance between micro-management (intensely disliked) and feeling unsupported. Communication is vital and initiating this conversation is in itself demonstrating leadership. Thanks to all the associate leaders who spoke to LW.
Caroline Clark Consultant, Litigation and Regulation/Head of Knowledge at Bellwether Green, Legal Trainer at Kinch Robinson What do partners in law firms value as leadership skills? Above all, I think partners in law firms value communication as a leadership skill. Poor communication is the source of so many negative outcomes – conflict, misunderstanding, apathy and demotivation. On the other hand, good and effective communication within leadership breeds success. Partners in law firms need to be leaders but they also need to be able to delegate leadership by empowering others - by trusting their associates, more junior lawyers and support staff to be leaders in their own right within a law firm. In that respect, partners value individuals who demonstrate good communication skills and also honesty, empathy and self-awareness. I think the basic matter of “getting along” with the leader is essential. Each person knowing where they stand is important too – this assists in recognising the boundaries on each side of the relationship. Mutual respect is essential. Having these things as a starting point bodes well for effective ongoing leadership. How are these skills nurtured / developed in staff? Harnessing a culture of openness and positivity in the workplace is key to nurturing and developing good leadership skills in staff. Recognising the need for explicit feedback and encouragement within the process is essential. This is something that can easily go amiss in the everyday hustle and bustle of a law firm, but it is important and should be consciously remembered and deployed. Do you think that the leadership skills valued by senior and junior staff are aligned? If not, how does it differ? It depends. There needs to be a willingness on the part of senior staff to tune in to the needs and priorities of more junior members of the team. Such an approach is very motivating meaning that more junior team members are inspired to deliver their best work with a good attitude. A failure of senior staff to properly contemplate (or remember!) what it is like to be more junior will lead to a disconnect. Whatever the level of leadership, shared trust is essential – one slip-up on that front can be fatal to the
relationship and can have wider consequences for the law firm. Has the perception of leadership changed due to the pandemic (or during the recent past even if not related to the pandemic)? Yes, definitely. The pandemic has triggered an opportunity for leaders to show their true worth. Successful leadership in such challenging times is hugely valued and will be remembered. The same goes for poor leadership. I also think that, more recently i.e. compared to when I started practising over 15 years ago, the development of a culture of diversity within law firms has changed the way leadership is viewed and valued. First, there is more recognition of the value that can be garnered from leaders being at all stages of their legal careers. Second, women within the profession are being championed as leaders more than ever before. Lastly, law firms are now generally more committed to leadership being immersed within their wider diversity agendas and they rightly want that to be visible to their clients and competitors. Laura Uberoi Senior Associate at Macfarlanes, Council Member of The Law Society of England and Wales What do partners in law firms value as leadership skills? One of the queries that often comes up during the partnership process is whether others want to work for you. We are schooled very early on in our careers about the importance of team-work, however a key part of leading a successful team is having people who want to work together and work for you. You cannot pretend to be invested in your team, you have to genuinely care – about the learning opportunities and career development ensuring that they are properly supported and taking ultimate responsibility for the services that your team provides. Continued on next page
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