Lessons in leadership : essential skills for lawyers

All too often, the difference between a successful and unsuccessful law firm is the quality of its leadership. Exemplary leaders have the power to motivate attorneys and staff to serve clients, collaborate, and innovate to the best of their ability. In times of trouble, ineffective leadership can drive a firm to ruin. Lessons in Leadership: Essential Skills for Lawyers will be required reading for any attorney--from newly hired associates to seasoned managing partners--seeking to develop their leadership skills. Through a series of practical lessons, veteran law firm leader Tom Grella draws from his own experiences and applies time-tested leadership principles to lawyers and law firms.

• About the Author p. vii
• Acknowledgments p. ix
• Foreword p. xiii
• Introduction p. xvii
• Chapter 1 What Is Leadership? p. 1
• Lesson 1 Position vs. Leadership p. 3
• Lesson 2 Servant Leadership p. 8
• Lesson 3 Empowering or Controlling: What Kind of a Leader are You? p. 14
• Lesson 4 Delegation in Practice-Leadership Teams in Law Firms p. 20
• Chapter 2 Leadership and Management as Applied to the Law Firm p. 27
• Lesson 5 Law Firm Management and Leadership of the Past p. 30
• Lesson 6 The Root Causes of Law Firm Failure-Leadership Failure p. 36
• Lesson 7 Emerging Trends Affecting Law Firm Leadership p. 40
• Chapter 3 Development of Personal Leadership Skills p. 49
• Discipline 1 Passion and Focus p. 50
• Lesson 8 Define Reality p. 53
• Lesson 9 Coaches and Mentors p. 59
• Lesson 10 Education Plan p. 66
• Discipline 2 Balance p. 72
• Lesson 11 Time Management p. 74
• Lesson 12 Leadership Communication p. 80
• Lesson 13 Alone Time p. 86
• Lesson 14 Time Off p. 91
• Lesson 15 Strengths vs. Weaknesses p. 97
• Discipline 3 Success p. 101
• Lesson 16 Failure Is Not the Opposite of Success p. 103
• Lesson 17 Learn from the Past-Honor and Respect Proven Leaders p. 108
• Lesson 18 Be Driven by the Desire to See Others Succeed p. 112
• Discipline 4 Fulfillment p. 116
• Lesson 19 Leadership Should Be Fun p. 118
• Lesson 20 Finding Your Authentic Voice p. 124
• Lesson 21 Safety, Power, and Trust in Your Presence p. 129
• Chapter 4 Trust and Autonomy p. 135
• Lesson 22 A Leader's Courage Is the Foundation of Trust p. 138
• Lesson 23 The Varying Roles and Relationships of Members of a Law Firm p. 144
• Lesson 24 Diversity and Gender p. 151
• Lesson 25 Rules and Procedures: Carrots and Sticks p. 156
• Lesson 26 Dealing with Conflict p. 161
• Chapter 5 Leadership in Practice: Client Relations p. 165
• Lesson 27 Influencing Clients-Leadership as the Key Role of a Lawyer p. 167
• Lesson 28 Education of Firm Lawyers in the Skills of Leading Clients p. 173
• Chapter 6 Day-to-Day Leadership p. 179
• Lesson 29 Dealing With Personnel Issues p. 181
• Lesson 30 Ethics and the Rules of Professional Conduct p. 188
• Chapter 7 Strategy and Planning-Casting Vision p. 195
• Lesson 31 The Role of the Firm Leader in Strategic Planning p. 198
• Lesson 32 The Process of Strategic Planning-Is It for Everyone? p. 203
• Chapter 8 Leading through a Crisis p. 211
• Lesson 33 Strength and Courage in Times of Trouble p. 211
• Chapter 9 Succession Planning: Leaving a Legacy for the Next Generation p. 219
• Lesson 34 Planning to Plan p. 221
• Lesson 35 Planning for Growth p. 228
• Lesson 36 Planning for Retirement-Succession of a Practice p. 238
• Lesson 37 Planning for Management Succession p. 244
• Conclusion p. 249
• Index p. 251