Leadership Dynamics: From Nut Job to Flash Mob in Minutes
Leadership is a tricky issue in law firms. Even notionally. In a community of owners, who takes charge? Who drives change? The partner with the highest hours? The best contacts? The mind-numbing genius? Oftentimes, the answer is “all of the above.” And this is both good and bad. On the negative side of “all of […]
Lessons From ESPN
Some of the most valuable things we do for clients aren’t billable. Take the news, for instance. When we read or watch the news, oftentimes we do so as people, not as client developers. The former entails reaction, the latter inspires action. The wires and waves have been inundated over the last 24 hours with […]
How what?
I was explaining to my four-year-old that you never go on the subway tracks. What if you drop your phone? Call the police. How? How what? How do you call the police if your phone is on the tracks? When facing big challenges—in logic, subways and in business—chances are, the best odds for success are […]
Defiance at Work: Have Conversations, Not Interviews
I had two hours in between meetings yesterday, too far from the office to schlep back and too busy to schedule a coffee date on the fly. So I found a snazzy little bistro and sat down to work. At a table nearby, the restaurant owner conducted interview after interview, apparently seeking a new GM […]
Succession Planning? Focus on Tools, Not Titles
A great article ran in today’s New York Law Journal on succession planning. This is a must-read for firms approaching that brutal and blessed transition. If that’s a place you’re in, congratulations for making it this far. Now brace yourself…it’s a difficult and unforgiving process. The fact is, smooth sailing has everything to do with a well-charted […]