Solicitors are from Mars, leaders are from Venus - and understanding of the difference is needed to give firms vision, writes Adam Makepeace

The new business landscape for solicitors, after the Clementi reforms, will be evidenced by a loss of control over their environment.


Strong leadership - a subject that kept the Gazette's letter pages busy of late - is therefore required to ensure that many firms do not fall victim to industry forces rather than creating them.


If the profession is to unearth effective leaders, it is useful to consider the core characteristics of leadership. Leaders influence and create beyond what they can directly control. One definition of leadership is that it 'aligns the organisation with a common vision and provides inspiration to achieve transformational goals'. Research supports the notion that having a 'vision' is the most admired characteristic of leaders.


At a time when the external environment is changing, there are greater internal pressures that mean leaders must offer a vision for their firms. The orthodoxy of professional services management argued that the interests of fee-earners were naturally aligned with the interests of their firms.


The desire to become a partner was apparently so strong that high levels of effort were produced by aspiring professionals. This self-motivation to help the firm achieve its goals obviated the need for close supervision.


However, more recent research in law firms suggests that this concept is illusory. A work-life balance is important to some. For others, the risks of partnership now appear to outweigh the rewards. Many are put off by the prospect of taking on an administrative burden. Even those who want to be partners in law firms often wonder why they have to wait for the increased rewards synonymous with partnership if they are producing the goods now.


From a management point of view, this raises questions over how to motivate fee-earners with bonus structures and flexible working. However, these are unlikely to fill the void, which will exist in an organisation which is not united behind some common purpose.


Providing a vision for the future should not be an impossible task for the partners in many firms, although there appear to be two major impediments. If these are understood and accepted, they can help unlock the door to being successful in the future.


The first was summarised by David Maister in terms that 'professionals lead busy lives with many conflicting demands on their time and attention... it is all too easy to... postpone or neglect activities that may not have to be done today, but are essential for the future'. Developing a coherent vision of the future does not have to be done today, but it is essential for the future. Whatever the pressures of professional life, some priority must be given to the strategic management of firms.


The second problem is a learning impediment in professionals who have been immersed in one sphere of their business - fee-earning - for a long time.


Therefore, a significant commitment is required by many to break out of their comfort zone in order to address the issues of strategic management, which they have not prioritised previously.


As the pace of change in the provision of legal services increases, it is those who are able to provide a vision for the future of their firms that will be the most successful in motivating their staff and staying in business.


Acknowledging the impediments to providing effective leadership within established partnerships could be a vital step before the process of creating a vision can be undertaken to set firms on the path to financial success in the future.


Adam Makepeace is a solicitor and practice manager at central London law firm Streathers