admin It is important to have strategic leadership for the organization to thrive and make it to the top.
We often see many managers in law firms giving directions, staffing, and doing other functional operations, but what is really needed is an effective leader who can produce change at a drastic level.
Along with leading a law firm, leaders also need to practice their profession dutifully and with integrity. There are certain peculiar traits that identify a leader from the rest of the people. Especially in law firms the leadership needs to be an effective one for the captain to be able to sail the ship through. These are few of the prominent Leadership skills that make a leader:
Emotional Intelligence – A leader needs to have an adequate amount of Emotional Intelligence along with technical excellence and intellect. Emotional intelligence is usually underestimated, whereas it is one of the distinguishing factors of strong leadership. A leader who can listen, understand and empathize with his team members and then resolve their issues and develop the team members will stand out as a competent leader. He will also have the support of his team members throughout his venture.
Decisiveness – In a law firm leader are often faced with toss up and difficult situations and they are expected to think rationally and take an adept decision that suits the client, the lawyer and the rest of the people involved. This is where the leader has to play his role of thinking on his feet and make adept decisions. In many situations the leader has to use his gut feeling and make important decisions. Sometimes decisions taken may go wrong but owning up to the situation and learning from the situation is what keeps the spirit going.
Assume Risk for the Reward
Leaders of a law firm or legal department have the benefit and burden of being asked to manage team members who are ambitious as well as those who have accomplished great things during their tenure. These types of professionals need to feel challenged and at the same time rewarded, otherwise they will fall prey to professional stagnation and ultimately become disengaged. A good leader should be able to address these concerns; they will need to assume the calculated risk of occasionally asking your team to head outside their comfort zone. By asking team members to take on assignments where they may not immediately or naturally thrive, good leaders will be able to demonstrate that their development is more important than their short term inconvenience or inefficiency. Indeed, by taking the risk on the ability of their team members’ to stretch beyond their comfort zone (and make mistakes), they will be able to reap the long term reward of establishing a team that is both agile and multi-faceted. They will be able to appreciate different issues and values that the leader is a stalwart supporter of not only the goals and monetary benefits of the law firm, but also the professional development of their employees.
Leading from behind
A legal leader must be aware that the lawyers and professional staff working for your law firm or legal department are highly ambitious and very intelligent professionals. As such, they would like their contribution in the form of their work to carry meaning and purpose. What this essentially means is that, they would not be too keen if the leader tries to micromanage them at every step of the way or make every decision. Instead, there is a better alternative to build this kind of team; the technique is called to ‘lead from behind’. Leading from behind requires the leader to take on a supporting role as humbly as possible; this will assist in giving your team members a chance to rise as innovators and leaders themselves. Successfully leading from behind, entails the need to develop an organization that is united by both shared values and goals. Ultimately, leading from behind is about helping your team members visualize an end goal, something they can buy into. It requires the leader to juggle various actions like inspire, empower, and course correct. Constantly maintaining this balance is crucial and challenging at the same time. While leading from behind is more challenging than traditional leadership methods, it encourages all team members—not just the most assertive ones—to come up with ideas that will help your law firm or legal department innovate and succeed. Moreover, by empowering your team to execute the goals of your organization without unnecessary interference will help establish an environment that inspires continuous professional growth.
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