Lawyers and leadership

In times of crisis people look to their leaders and often, their lawyer(s). On several occasions in my career, I have come across the inherent assumption that lawyers are, by their very nature, good leaders. Whilst it is an honour to be given the “leadership head start” and accept the responsibility that goes with it, the assumption does make one consider – What is the connection between lawyers and leadership? And is that assumption accurate?

The introduction of the book ‘Lawyers as Leaders’ by Deborah L. Rhode both intrigued and horrified me in equal measure. “No occupation in America supplies a greater proportion of leaders than law. They obviously lead law firms, but they also sit at the helm of a vast and diverse array of businesses across America, including 10 per cent of S&P 500 firms. And of course, a strikingly large percentage of our political leaders are attorneys, including half the members of Congress. This raises two obvious questions. Why do we look to lawyers to lead? And, why do so many of them prove to be so untrustworthy and unprepared?”

abovethelaw.com, in a recent article on leadership, questions whether this is just how we, as lawyers, are ‘built’.  Larry Richard, a psychologist studied personality traits of lawyers and leaders and states that, “The kinds of personality traits that typify lawyers — and which can help them to be really excellent lawyers — can make it more challenging for them to be effective leaders”. It is true that lawyers (as a gross generalisation) tend to be more risk averse, risk conscious and often sceptical, traits that can often be at odds with the vision of an inclusive, decisive leader that drives the organisation. However, as individuals within a profession we all bring a personal approach to how we practice law. A good lawyer layers a healthy dose of commercial reality onto their legal advice and need not be the stereotypical victim of ‘analysis paralysis’.

Much of the latest research on leadership tells us that while people can be born with talents which would predispose them to be great leaders, leadership is a skill that can be developed, learnt, honed and enhanced. This leads me to a further question. If leadership can be taught, and lawyers are assumed to be great leaders, why weren’t we taught leadership skills in law school? Having spent seven years studying law, I must admit that at no point did I believe there was something missing in my education. I was becoming a lawyer and therefore had to master my field. It did not dawn on me that there is so much more to being a lawyer than the law itself (fundamental as that may be). Additional subjects and skills, including, leadership, would have been valuable in preparing me for the realities of being a lawyer and the demands that a career in law will always present.

Fast forward two decades and it appears that several law schools in the United States now offer courses on leadership to law students. As Harvard Law School puts it, in the description of their Management and Leadership Skills for Lawyers reading group “Attorneys can – and should – develop management and legal skills from their very first day in practice…And until you become a supervisor, understanding how managers and leaders function will better prepare you to be an effective counsel and to understand the people and entities with whom you work and interact.”

I, for one, aim to do my best to be prepared for every leadership moment. I also strongly believe that many of us, if given the opportunity to lead, would embrace the role without hesitation. Having recently attended an Exec Education Course on Strategy and Leadership, I was surprised to be the only lawyer in a cohort of 50 individuals. At the end of that three-day course I was asking myself, “Why aren’t more lawyers here?”

The general assumption is that we, as a profession, are leaders, but we cannot take it for granted that those skills will come naturally. If leadership is a skill then we need to learn it, practice it and perfect it.  We, our teams and our organisations will all be the better for it.

Columnist: David Galea, head of legal and company secretary, Drydocks World