Originally published in The Legal Intelligencer
Do you ever wonder how you, personally, contribute to your firm’s culture? Contrary to common understanding, organizational culture an organic, living concept mutating, in one way or another, every second of every day. Culture emerges through the collective efforts of individuals within the organization – how they come together to solve problems, the ways in which they accomplish goals and what choices they make as they vie for position in the marketplace. Yet while every individual within a group contributes to cultural experience, it is leaders – formal and informal – whose influence looms the largest.
The role of leaders in shaping cultural experience is broad and far-reaching. Decisions on virtually every aspect of a firm – from strategy to operations to compensation – all imprint culture. It is a leader’s own words and actions, though, which often have the greatest impact. The way in which a leader behaves, communicates, interacts with others, delivers feedback, evokes transparency and measures achievement can permeate the organization. In short, a leader’s style has an undeniable echo that resonates across the organization.
A leader will typically fall into one of three spheres of influence: 1) reinforce existing cultural norms (bad or good); 2) conflict with an organization’s culture (think of short-stinted or one-term leaders); or 3) herald a shift to the undercurrents that prevail. Effective leaders – those who espouse leadership traits such as self-awareness, empathy and adaptability – are more likely to have a positive impact on culture. Sadly, less effective leaders, sometimes with little awareness or intention, have the opposite effect.
Daniel Goleman, most widely recognized for his work in Emotional Intelligence (EI), draws on his seminal work to identify six leadership styles. The six leadership styles Goleman pinpoints are: Commanding, Visionary, Affiliative, Democratic, Pacesetting and Coaching. Of these, four have a constructive influence on culture while two, when used as a primary leadership style, can be harmful. Goleman goes on to distill each of these styles into a single phrase and offers insight into the leader’s way of operating, underlying EI competencies and when the style works well (or less well). The phrases are below, and the full description of each can be found in his Harvard Business Review article, Leadership That Gets Results.
Each of the leadership styles Goleman describes can be useful in certain situations. What is striking is that of the three that resonate most loudly as the prevailing norms in law firm culture – “do at my pace,” “Do as I say” and “What do you think?” – two coincide with the leadership styles most likely to create cultural dissonance: Commanding and Pacesetting.
Leaders, Partners and Influence on Culture
Both the Commanding and Pacesetting leadership styles are common among law firm partners and leaders. A Commanding style – one in which the leader pushes others to “fall in line” with their vision, direction or approach – is more often directed at Associates or staff. While it may come from a place of good – a strong desire to achieve and pride in initiative – it can, over time and used frequently, lead others to respond in ways that lead to a less desirable culture.
Common reactions to an ongoing Commanding leadership style are: 1) Frustration – especially for high performers (“why does this person know what is best in all situations”); 2) Disengagement/resignation (“why should I take initiative if this person simply wants me to follow their instructions”; and 3) Rebellion – overt or subversive (“let’s create a way around this person”). Regardless of which of these reactions surface, the cultural implications are largely negative, creating either an oppositional or dependent tendency in response to the leadership style.
The Pacesetting leadership style, similarly, can have a detrimental effect on culture, though in a different way. Pacesetting leaders strive for excellence. They are typically driven and conscientious, setting high expectations for themselves and others. Lawyers who tout their extraordinary, Herculean efforts to meet unreasonable deadlines or bill over 2,000 hours a year while maintaining a multi-million book of business exemplify the Pacesetting style. Many entrepreneurs embody a Pacesetting style.
While to some the Pacesetting style may sound exciting, over time consistent use of this style leads to negative outcomes. Typical responses to a steady Pacesetting style are: 1) Burnout (“I can’t keep going at this pace indefinitely”; 2) Fear of failure and low innovation (“Mistakes will get me in trouble, therefore, I will not innovate”; and 3) Competitiveness – internally (“I need to outperform my colleagues to achieve the desired outcome.”
Why Leadership Styles Matter in Law Firms
While leaders alone will not define culture, their behaviors and actions affect every one of their direct and indirect interpersonal relationships, not to mention their strategic and management decisions. In law firms, where leaders are often partners, their connections across the firm are especially extensive. While the Managing Partner or Chair typically sits at the top of the pyramid, every partner, whether in a formal role as Practice Group Chair, committee head or other, or informally as a client lead, mentor and business owner, serves as a firm leader. In this way, the leadership style of virtually every partner within a law firm has the power to add to – or detract from – its culture.
When partners embrace their individual roles in shepherding and modeling what they want to see more of in their law firm, it can enhance the cultural experience across the organization. Cultures defined by lip service and frequently repeated phrases such as collaborative or entrepreneurial, that belie actions (e.g., refusal to share origination credit, perfectionist tendencies that discourages investment in new areas or endeavors) will deteriorate. Feelings of frustration, resentment, competitiveness, burnout and apathy will replace connection and support. Performance initially may not reveal these undercurrents. Over time, however, the cracks will widen. Attrition will climb, internal cliques will form and, eventually, client service and billings will suffer.
Personal transformation is the spark to ignite cultural change. In this way, each and every member of a law firm, especially leaders and partners, has an essential role to play. Small gestures – saying thank you, acknowledging someone’s contribution, providing feedback – go a long way in forming stronger bonds and fortifying the positive elements of culture. Make a commitment today to doing one thing – your firm will thank you for it.