This statement by a very successful lawyer has always stuck with me. The reason? It creates tension. It expresses boundless ambition, wanting to be better than the rest, always being available, always being able to deliver. It creates tension because at the time it seamlessly connected to my reality, which on the one hand gave me the feeling of being part of a ‘winning team’ – and who doesn’t want that – but also caused a kind of discomfort. What is it that actually makes a good lawyer better or more successful than the rest? No pain, no gain? Being available, always and completely? Is that really it? And who decides that?
This statement contains an interesting area of tension that is inherent to the legal profession: high (time) pressure, the value of responsiveness and entrepreneurship. Where the client needs something, the lawyer delivers as quickly and as well as possible. Clients appreciate a quick response and dedication. People see a committed lawyer, feel heard. It is about the relationship and that is important, if not the most important. The lawyer wants to fulfil that role, to deliver what is asked. This creates the risk that the focus will only be on meeting demand and striving for the highest possible result, especially when things are busy.
The risk of responsiveness as a priority is that the days are filled with hitting back all those balls that are continuously fired at the lawyer. There is hardly any time left for strategy, for innovation, for a good (off-deal) conversation with clients, for strengthening the mutual bond and developing people, or, in other words, for entrepreneurship. Lawyers postpone that with the idea that they will get to that “when things calm down”. What if that moment does not come often enough or does not come at all? Responsiveness then becomes reactivity and entrepreneurship threatens to disappear into the background or even completely out of sight during those periods, unintentionally and unnoticed. Young lawyers who learn the trade in an environment where this is the case, no longer see entrepreneurship. They mainly learn the core business, optimally serving the client, albeit mainly ‘on demand’. In the meantime, these young lawyers are asked to be pro-active, to show ownership and to be entrepreneurial. Quite difficult. The older generation continues to experience entrepreneurship within themselves. It is in their genes and always in the back of their minds, but in their actions it can (temporarily) become invisible and the visible behavior is what the upcoming talent takes as an example.
Speed and an emphasis on delivery has become the norm in the legal profession. This makes it more visible than ever that strategy, building in time to determine direction, investing in clients and in each other, is a choice, a choice with a major impact on the future of the firm. It does not happen automatically. It starts with a good conversation at management and partner level. What do we want, what does that look like in concrete terms, what can we expect from each other and what can everyone contribute to that? Ask each other those questions, build trust, enter into constructive conflict and set a course (together). Make sure that you know what is going on within the firm, engage in a conversation with each other, ask what people need, work on psychological safety, consider appointing a professional and visible external confidant who can report and advise on undesirable patterns and organize a form of contradiction. Keep the initiative, engage in debate and keep each other sharp. It pays off. Big time. Want to know more? I’d love to come by.