Leadership Skills in the Legal Industry
Leadership is defined by the Oxford dictionary as the person who leads or commands a group, organisation, or country.
So what particularly does leadership look like in the Legal Industry? We are often asked to find a candidate who has leadership skills or potential. There are mixed opinions as to whether Lawyers are naturally gifted at leadership. They are intelligent and well educated, they have great analytical and research skills. It can of course be a skill that is learned and developed if you have the aptitude.
These are the leadership skills we look for when recruiting for the legal industry
People Skills
- This includes the ability to communicate with colleagues, peers, senior executives and clients. It also includes the ability to actively listen to what they are telling you.
Strategic Vision:
- The ability to see the big picture and how to get there.
Commercial acumen
- An understanding of how the legal industry works including billable hours, client profitability, client relationships
The ability to inspire and motivate
- A leader in a law firm needs to be able to inspire and motivate the team around them. They need to inspire them to get the job done with passion and efficiency.
The ability to develop your team
A great leader understands that they are only as good as their team. They look for future leaders to develop and mentor around them. They encourage team members to try new things and to work on the skills that need improvement. They can spot a rising star and do what they can to nurture talent.
Client focus
A leader can empathise with a client and communicate appropriately. They can bring the client perspective to a situation. They understand the power of word of mouth recommendations and referrals.
Well established and nurtured networks
- Or the ability to develop these. It may be that you have years in the legal industry and plenty of industry and client contacts, or it may just be that you have a charismatic personality and the ability to create them
Supportive of and excited by change
- A lot of what is involved in modern leadership is leading people through change. It might be a restructure, or dealing with a technological change, but the workplace is an ever changing environment. A great leader is passionate about doing things better.
- They need to lead through our dynamic strategic landscape, with the rise of outsourcing, virtual firms. They need to be aware of what the competition is doing and keep an eye on disruptive start-ups that might impact firm activity or client matters.
- A great leader knows that for a company to grow and move forward, continuous change is a necessary factor.
Able to manage across generations and geographies
- A modern leader will be managing multiple generations including millennials, generation Y, X and even Baby Boomers. They also may be leading across multiple geographic areas either interstate or internationally.
A passion for the Law
- And last but not least – Technical skills and relevant work experience!
If you have read our list and thought that there are some areas here that you need help with, don’t be afraid of asking for help. Consider an executive coach or a mentor that can help you to develop these skills.
Our list which is by no means exhaustive. What other leadership qualities do you suggest you may need in the legal industry?
If you are looking for a new role in the Legal Industry then get in touch with us here at Legal People. We are specialists in the Legal Industry and recruit Lawyers, Support staff and HR professionals. If you enjoyed reading this article, you can follow our Company Page on LinkedIn for regular updates. These are specific to the Legal Industry and career advice for legal professionals.
