How to build a high-performing leadership team in your law firm
An expert shares what makes a good leader and how to improve employee engagement
Ian Hopkins, former managing partner and regional director at several UK law firms and now senior consultant of CPM21 and owner of Hopkins Management Consultancy, recently joined Amy Bruce, head of marketing at Osprey Approach, for episode two of the independent legal software provider’s new interview series, Empowering Law Firm Leaders.
In this conversation, Ian shares his 30 years’ experience to help SME law firms build an effective leadership team.
In this conversation we cover:
- The importance of business-thinking
- Current legal leadership challenges and how to overcome them
- How to improve employee engagement
- What makes a good leader
Three quick-fire lessons for running a successful modern law firm
With the power of hindsight, Ian shares the top three lessons he’s learnt about running a successful law firm and what it takes to be a good leader.
- You must have a clear vision and strategy: “There has to be clarity in the vision and you must have goals and objectives in place. Once you have those in place, you need to check in regularly to make sure that progress is on track and to see if any adjustments need to be made.”
- Instil a positive culture: “The SRA are right to be dealing with toxic cultures in the legal profession. Changing the culture of a business can’t be done overnight, but there are four elements to creating a positive culture:
- You first need to identify (and then follow) the values of your firm
- Leaders need to be authentic and optimistic
- Effectively communicate and share as much information as you can
- Value all staff equally irrespective of their role.”
- Deal with issues as they occur: “It’s crucial not to sweep things under the carpet. You need to have excellent feedback mechanisms to get early warning signs before things blow up. Once you’re aware of what is causing frustrations, you have to act on it and fix it, no matter how difficult that may be.”
What makes an effective leadership team?
A good leadership team is important for creating a positive culture that motivates and inspires individuals to meet business goals. Ian recommends that law firms, “need to look to create leaders at all levels of the business. Don’t just think ‘leader’ in terms of the person at the top of the business. You really need to create leaders at all levels because that’s where you get the drive to move the business forward.”
To be a good leader, it’s important to not only have a clear vision and plan but to be able to communicate it effectively to partners and the wider team: “The team need to feel empowered to deliver with clear goals and objectives.” Ian also believes leadership should be: “Self-managed, accountable, and responsible for performance and results.”
How to overcome four key challenges facing law firm leaders today
“There is no shortage of challenges for law firms right now. While some challenges may be size or sector-specific, there are challenges which are common to all firms irrespective of size.”
In the conversation, Ian outlines four of the key challenges that SME leaders currently face and how to overcome them:
- The cost of regulation
- Obtaining PII
- Recruiting and retaining staff
- Fierce competition
A high-performing law firm requires a strong leadership team
To get the best from your employees you need a strong leadership team to drive the business collectively towards the goal.
An effective leader must be an authentic role model, who lives the firm’s values and can successfully communicate their vision.
But an effective leader is only as effective as their team, which is why you need empowered leaders at all levels of the business. Ian emphasises the importance of having a clear vision and strategy at management level, so everyone is clear what they’re working towards, what success looks like, and how they contribute. This is the foundation for a high-performing, successful law firm.
Watch the full interview with Ian Hopkins now to discover more advice and guidance on building an effective leadership team. You’ll also hear Ian’s exclusive advice to all future law firm leaders on how to motivate a team and what you must plan for to avoid surprises.
