Leadership Styles: top-billing lawyers see the development of others as an essential part of their role, says survey

The highest-billing lawyers are team players who express genuine concern for others, research revealed last month.


A survey of solicitors in a top global law firm – which compared the star players with those of average performance – found that all the firm’s top-billing lawyers shared the same broad range of leadership styles.


According to the study by management consultancy Hay Group, more than 75% of successful lawyers display the ‘coaching’ characteristic – seeing the development of others as an essential part of their role. They are twice as likely to be ‘affiliative’, expressing concern for others, and ‘participative’, engaging others in critical discussions and decisions.


Almost two-thirds of the best lawyers are ‘visionary’, providing teams with much-needed perspective and context, while reinforcing the firm’s values.


Only 8% of top lawyers were ‘pacesetters’, compared to almost half of the less successful group. Pacesetters are perfectionists who set unattainable goals, tend to micromanage, and refuse to let go of tasks because they do not trust others to meet their standards.


Hay Group consultant Steve Cunningham said: ‘There are several styles of leadership, and star legal performers are flexible enough to adapt their leadership style to the demands of any situation.


‘Star players are the very opposite of the stereotype of the ruthless lawyer. They are genuinely concerned about people and likely to be excellent coaches and mentors.’


Neil Paterson, director for regional business at Hay, added: ‘In professional services firms, you often have people who have got to the top, but have never been trained how to lead. The highest billers had a style that was democratic.


‘Law firms tend to hire top graduates, who are very driven individuals. But then they do not ask for their input into problems. The best leaders canvass opinion from others. The coaching style can be difficult for individuals at a senior level who have never experienced it themselves. It’s about people who see their role as developing the best in other people. They accept short-term performance issues for long-term gain – they let people make a mistake, and learn from it.’


He said: ‘The coercive approach will produce results in the short term, but not in the long term. It leads to higher staff turnover. There are some law firms where there is a fear of the senior partner, which wears away at the organisation and ends in people leaving.


‘Firms need to create an environment where there are opportunities for growth, and then people are more likely to go the extra mile.’