We like to talk about leadership a lot. There are numerous resources on this topic and although very often the principles suggested are followed, many times they are not. Having the opportunity to experience what leadership looks like in the West, East Europe and United States I can say that I have always set higher expectations in the United States because of the position it takes in the world and especially for having access to the best resources, at least until recently. Unfortunately, having access to the best resources does not necessarily mean that one will apply them and then there is this sense of entitlement which sounds like “I know everything that is to know about the topic and that is enough for me”. The most painful part is when a business brings a lot of money in and then some of the leadership just drops the ball and forgets about it all together.
To me, leadership is not about money, about ego or about showing who is stronger or smarter. Leadership is all about people, meaning that if the people around you do not feel empowered to grow or transform along with your business, then your company has no leadership, hence no future.
Lawyering is a profession that involves a lot of ego. I blame it on the journey one follows to get there. If you pursued this craft, then you know what I mean. Sleepless nights, lots of readings, exams and the competition that surrounds you all year around. You need some ego to make it through and not be crossed over.
I vouch for professional environments that follow the win-win scenario, meaning that “when I win, everyone wins.” More often than not, the reality is the opposite. Many lawyers are too overwhelmed with their clients and cases to be able to learn and/or manifest leadership traits in their organization. They can be so burned out, that totally ignore what leadership is about. Because leadership requires invested time, willingness and passion and how can you possibly manifest that when you run your life like a machine. So, what will it take for lawyers to become great leaders, when they really want that for themselves:
- Lawyers will have to learn how to delegate more and focus on things that really matter – “running their organization”;
- They will have to invest more time and resources on trainings and empowering their staff, so that eventually they can take ownership over cases;
- They will have to be mindful that without leadership there will be no long term growth and they should act as if their own life depends on it;
- A great leader is the one who walks behind his team and not the other way. If we have seen tech companies accomplishing some of the most amazing leadership agendas, we are hoping that one day we will be able to bring law firms as an example;
- A great leader is the one who always thinks “win-win”;
- Someone who puts the interests of his organization first and invests all his resources in his people;
- Yes, the clients are very important, but most important are the people that take the elevator in your firm.