Leading Lawyers to Success

Leading Lawyers to Success by Law Office Portal Staff

The paradigm for the legal field is changing. To be successful, lawyers must adapt their business practices not just to the needs, but demands of clients and employers. Many lawyers are now being called upon to multitask, combining legal acumen and advocacy with leadership. Success is in thinking like a lawyer and acting like a leader.

To lead is to motivate and inspire others into action. An effective lawyer-leader is more than the traditional advocate, but also a valuable sounding board, multidisciplinary strategist and innovative problem solver. Undeniably, leadership is an important part of a lawyer's multifaceted role. Four particular subsets of lawyers - political, nonprofit, entrepreneurial, and corporate - employ a variety of leadership skills almost daily, proving there's a modicum of truth in the cliché "born leader".

Political lawyers exemplify the role of the lawyer as a public servant. Elected and appointed officials, from judges to District Attorneys to the leader of the free world, represent the interests of thousands and thousands of constituents. Rather than act as an angry adversary, the political lawyer must eloquently and tactfully persuade the "everyman" into supporting him and helping to further his cause. Then, having garnered their trust and respect, the lawyer's greatest responsibility is to ensure citizen's safety and well-being with a solid path and sound decisions.

The goal of the nonprofit lawyer is also to better society. Because few are independent enough financially to commit to their chosen cause fulltime, even part-time pro bono efforts are laudable. For example, Bar Presidents often use their position as a vehicle to provide change via a philanthropic platform. Acting as benevolent mentors, the Presidents' passion for the cause may live on in other lawyers after their term is fulfilled.

The entrepreneurial lawyer is part businessperson, part lawyer, and part risk-taker. They conceive and then strategically build their own ventures, either as a sole proprietor or something outside the legal field. Never a one-person show behind the scenes, a successful entrepreneur promotes collaboration and contentment among his employees over autonomy and competition.

Corporate counsel have always been consummate multitaskers as their duties reach beyond the traditional bounds of advocate and advisor; their expertise beyond legal. In the face of budgetary restrictions and exponential growth from mergers and buyouts, clients and employers are insisting on a multifaceted approach which fuses leadership with a lawyer's already burgeoning list of responsibilities. Corporate attorneys are being asked to improve departmental operations and compliance; function as mediators, public speakers, liaisons, regulators, businesspersons and financiers; and even serve dual roles as CFO's or COO's. They are required to be both team members and team leaders; innovative when warranted yet conservative when necessary; and able to conceive positive paths for the future that are grounded firmly in intelligent decisions of the present. As a result, counsel for both small businesses and large conglomerates are often expected to help formulate and lead a company's direction, expand business models, and improve public relations and opinion.

Of course, this is not to say other lawyers are without inherent leadership qualities. The mere lack of a leadership title doesn't exclude anyone from being a successful leader. Attorneys can be guest speakers and lecturers, executors and trustees, participate on Boards of Directors, advise committees and associations, and otherwise provide leadership in the community, both politically and personally.

As vital as leadership is to a lawyer's success it ought to be incorporated flawlessly into daily routines, as much of an integral part of legal practices as court appearances and meetings. By recognizing and creating even minute opportunities to assume leadership roles, lawyers not only make themselves indispensable, but also gain the trust and respect of clients, peers, and superiors.

© LawOfficePortal.com 2008