Jonathan Wheeler on why strong people management skills bring business success
- Leadership is about working through other people.
- Partners are often not given management training.
- Successful firms understand the importance of soft skills to business success.
Law firms have for many years buried their heads in the sand when it comes to the importance of the leadership skillset and the key role this plays in the success of any firm. Historically, the legal sector was famous for lagging behind others in recognising management as a distinct discipline in itself, instead appointing people to top roles merely as a badge of seniority, or a reward for long service or track-record of stellar personal performance (and billing). However, star performers are not always the best managers and leaders.
In fact, the converse is often true: as the old adage goes, ‘charismatics can suck the oxygen out of the room leaving none for others to breathe’. So while star performers are obviously good news for the business when the main focus is on their own performance, once their role becomes about other people’s performance, these
