Dealing with the aftermath of a contentious election

The US presidential elections are finally over. Mitt Romney has been gracious in his defeat and Barack Obama has held out his hand to his opponent to work together for the American people. But, after such a bruising campaign and with such a close public vote, it will take time and effort to heal the divides that have been exposed throughout the election.

It’s a situation faced by many a newly-elected senior partner and managing partner following a contentious election. Putting yourself forward as a candidate for leadership in a law firm can be a risky business. These election campaigns tend to be more gentlemanly than their political equivalents, but they still have the ability to create division, and often leave the loser considering his ongoing role and relationship with the firm.

Entering the race for the leadership position of a law firm requires partners to make a very public statement of their personal ambitions and their ambitions for the firm. As the consultative period progresses, candidates put forward their manifesto, meet and persuade as many partners as possible of their credentials for the job, while at the same time continuing to serve their clients. It all takes enormous amounts of emotional energy and self-belief.

Candidates for election normally surround themselves with supporters and reach out to other practice areas or offices to win votes. Politics inevitably come into play – where does the practice power base lie and who is in whose gang?

Crucially, every partner will be searching for answers to what impact each candidate’s vision and strategy for the firm will have for their area of expertise, geographic base and individual practice. Inevitably, alliances and coalitions form as the positions of the candidates become clearer.

Once the voting is over and the result known, there is inevitable disappointment amongst the losers and their supporters. This sense of disappointment can run very deep, with candidates suddenly experiencing a loss of pride. Having convinced themselves that a leadership role is the next step, it’s not easy for the unelected to step back into a practice role as if nothing has happened.

Some candidates may even have neglected their clients in their efforts to win over hearts and minds, and become anxious about their billing figures or angry with friends and colleagues who they suspect haven’t voted for them.

The newly-elected senior partner or managing partner has a real leadership role to play at this point. His goal should be to heal any divisions that have arisen and to make it crystal clear that he is the servant of all partners, without favouring his own constituency or any particular group. He has to focus on bringing the partnership together around common goals and focusing attention on the markets and on clients during a period of internal introspection.

He also needs to show respect to his opponents in what he says about them and how he helps them to retain their dignity and a sense of continued contribution. Often, this will entail asking opponents to take on other key roles to bring them into the leadership camp and to use their experience and ideas constructively.

As President Obama starts his difficult task of uniting America in the face of economic challenge and global competition, many law firm leaders will be looking to see what they can learn from him.

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