Peer to Peer Magazine

Modern Leadership and Creating Chaos out of Order demonstrate the traits that they would like to see in their employees. In addition, they should identify stakeholders who have a common alignment with the organization’s trajectory, and take a collaborative approach. “This is a time when you really need to focus on the people stuff,” says Jones who recommends that firms continue to plan employee retreats, external events and other functions that promote morale. Embrace Change While noting that changes to law firm business models, including fixed fee billing and the elimination of lockstep advancement, are all long overdue and probably would have occurred despite the downturn, Jones remarks that leaders must still consider the impact of that transformation. “In ten years, you are going to see staffing models that are much more similar to what you see in a large accounting firm,” he says. Jones predicts the emergence of professionals in many different categories, including long-term employees who are not on a partnership track, and says, “The model of a firm consisting only of ‘owners of the business’ and ‘owners in waiting,’ which was unique to law firms, is changing.” Before embracing change, Zeve advises principals to acknowledge that change happens at different points along a path in an organization. “Part of leadership is creating awareness of what is happening in the market,” he says, suggesting that a novel approach to innovative stewardship is to find or create agents of change to promote and build a different set of skills. Zeve adds, “One can show leadership by conveying how change supports individual careers or the firm’s migration to a new path.” Focus on Technology Using the economic benefits of cloud computing as an example, Zeve highlights that successful leaders are leveraging technology to help their organizations modify outdated business models. Since cloud computing can help companies cut costs while enabling efficiencies, it is useful in meeting higher client expectations. For this reason, leaders are reconsidering the benefits new technologies can have on their core operations, including interoperability and standardization. According to Zeve, those investing in streamlining during the downturn will ensure permanent cost reductions and increase their competitiveness. “Enabling change requires a little bit of emotional intelligence and an understanding of the economics of the market,” says Zeve. He also notes that those skills have not been valued by law firms in ways seen in other industries. In fact, although some are born with the personality traits of good leaders, those who focus on emotional intelligence have an advantage, echoes Jones. While leadership requires a distinct set of skills from management, he advises that it is teachable and learnable. Those who are good listeners, for example, tend to thrive in leadership roles because of their awareness and interest in others. They take note of discussions that are occurring via Twitter and LinkedIn to gain a broader perspective, as well as a deeper understanding of how their decisions affect the overall organization. Others leverage the power of survey tools to quantify the extent of the impact or to solicit suggestions on the firm’s proposed direction. Create Opportunity The current market challenges offer the opportunity for stronger teams and a renewed focus on client service. “A time of radical change is a time of great opportunity for people who have the imagination and energy to take advantage of it,” says Jones. He cautions, however, that while it is traditional for a leader to be the chief spokesperson for an organization, self-promotion diminishes some of the important traits of leadership. “One of the things you don’t want to happen is for your team to think you are using your position for self- aggrandizement and preventing others from getting credit,” he says. Jones points out that leaders are never on delicate ground when they promote others. To recognize and share the accomplishments of others, one must consider how they communicate and connect, notes Zeve. “We are seeing a lot of leaders who are starting to broadcast over the Web.” He recommends that law- related organizations study the consulting firm model, which encourages the development of centers of excellence focused on specific areas of interest using blogs, intranets and similar tools. “If you want to create a name for yourself, start to publish and select a communication channel that will reach your target audience,” says Zeve. In The Attorney Hiring Zone: Top Activities to Win New Clients, a November of 2009 study conducted for Hellerman Baretz Communications, the BTI Consulting Group found that “credentialing” activities, such as writing for industry periodicals, are key to creating opportunity. The report indicated “Attorneys who publish articles and Q&As in respected trade publications are perceived by corporate counsel as having extensive knowledge on a particular subject.” Zeve also encourages syndication of the content demonstrating that knowledge. Social media groups provide free distribution channels, as do podcasting tools like BlogTalkRadio and the law-related document hub, JDSupra. Ultimately, the current generation of leaders must be able to focus on chaos as much as order because they are charged with dynamically repositioning their organizations in an era of rapid redefinition. ILTA Ari Kaplan is the author of The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career Through Creative Networking and Business Development (Thomson-West, 2008) and the creator of the popular 30MinuteThursdays.com webinar series. Visit AriKaplanAdvisors.com for his free special report: Five Ways to Find Opportunity in a Faltering Economy. He can be reached at ari@arikaplanadvisors.com. Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 65

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