Leadership buoy

When managing partners need advice, who can they turn to? Kate Clifton explores how law firm leaders are mentoring and supporting each other

 

The word mentoring tends to conjure up an image of a young protégée – fresh faced and enthusiastic – being taken under the wing of an older or more experienced peer. But what happens once you reach the top of the firm hierarchy and are expected to manage the disparate needs of headstrong partners for the first time?

It’s a given that most managing partners will be elected after proving themselves as talented and dynamic lawyers. Some may also have cut their leadership teeth as practice group leaders or senior partners.

However, what many do not realise until they are in the role is that the skill set required to successfully manage a law firm is vastly different to that of legal practice. A much broader perspective, encompassing strategy, people, processes and culture at all levels of the firm is required.

In the first few months of a new term, this can be extremely isolating. “Managing a professional partnership is very different to managing a corporate organisation, so the only way you can be successful is by talking to people who have done it previously,” says Stephen Denyer, global markets partner at Allen & Overy and chair of the International Bar Association’s law firm management committee.

Such isolation can be exacerbated as an incoming managing partner’s trusted circle of internal advisers, which has been built up throughout his career, reduces as he assumes the post.

“If you’re going to a particular group of people for advice, there may be a view that you’re favouring them over others, or that they have an influence, which other parts of the partnership may resent,” says Lee Ranson, managing partner at Eversheds.

Asking for help or guidance can, in itself, also be misconstrued as a sign of weakness by managing partners new to the role.

“You don’t know everything – and yet there you are, regarded by everyone as the business’ leader,” says Jonathan Blair, managing partner at Dickinson Dees. “You don’t want to be letting yourself, or others, down.”

The first step for many firms is a formal and thorough succession plan. This will include a specified period of time in which the incoming managing partner will shadow the former. For example, he will attend strategy and planning meetings, be introduced to key contacts and have the opportunity to bounce ideas off his predecessor.

Ranson likens this approach to an anecdote recounted by actor Kevin Spacey at a recent dinner event he attended.

“He told a story about how important a mentor Jack Lemmon had been to him, as a young actor,” Ranson explains. “Spacey asked Lemmon why he was spending so much time talking to him and Lemmon talked about ‘sending the elevator back down’. I thought that he was absolutely right – and this should go on at every level within a firm. People should be helping others to progress.”

However, succession planning is not without its problems. Personality clashes between the two parties can sometimes reduce the value that can be gained from mentoring during the transition.

It may be that the former managing partner takes a different stance on an important issue. Or that the former leader introduced a process that the new managing partner is thinking of changing or removing.

In extreme cases, the outgoing managing partner may have lost out at the election stage and be less willing to share expertise as a result.

“Can you imagine Gordon Brown and Tony Blair having this kind of relationship? It doesn’t work every time,” notes Nick Jarrett-Kerr, principal at Edge International.

As a result, managing partners have extended their informal networks, taking advantage of advice from senior partners or managers within their organisations, as well as from peers in other law firms.

“I actually don’t believe there is a shortage of mentoring facilities externally, provided one is prepared to go and find them,” says Peter Jackson, managing partner of Hill Dickinson. “Many consultants and former managing partners provide this service. You just have to find them and see if they work for you.”

It was partly in response to this market trend and to significant demand from managing partners new to the role that the IBA recently launched an international mentoring programme and website.

For managing partners of global firms, the programme provides an informal opportunity to share ideas with those facing issues at the same level in firms of a similar size. At the other end of the scale, managing partners in emerging markets with no local network of firms have a better chance of obtaining relevant advice.

Many of the programme’s current mentors are former managing partners who are looking to give something back to the legal community.

“It’s a matching service,” says Denyer. “To a significant extent, although by no means exclusively, it works most commonly with people from less mature jurisdictions seeking advice from people from more established areas.”

 

Peer support networks

Managing partners’ experiences in mentoring and peer support vary and often depend upon the amount of time that they are willing to spend on their own personal development.

“You almost have to pull yourself out of your daily commitments within the role and ask yourself ‘how am I going to do this job better?’” notes Ranson.

“One way might be to find an external network. But due to time pressures, managing partners just don’t allow themselves what they consider to be something of a luxury, rather than a very effective tool.”

Ranson says he has been lucky to count Eversheds’ international chairman, David Gray, as a mentor. “I often meet him to talk through issues and it’s invaluable,” he says. “It’s important that people see this – helping others on their journey – as an obligation.”

Blair too was fortunate in that Dickinson Dees works with a six-month handover period. “I did go out and ask for help and I was fortunate that my predecessor (Neil Braithwaite) remained in the business,” he says. “He is actually working on a current project alongside me now.”

Denyer also notes that when he took on the role of Allen & Overy’s regional managing partner for Europe in 1997 (which he held until 2007) he was fortunate enough to already have an informal peer support network – including previous managers – from having grown up in the firm.

“It was very much something that I sought from my contemporaries,” he says. “People from other firms also approached me and asked for my views or help. I always found this interesting, as it helped to focus my judgement. It was beneficial both as a recipient and a provider of information.”

Sean Weir was less fortunate. When he assumed the newly-created role of national managing partner at Canadian firm Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG), following the merger of five local firms in March 2000, there was no predecessor he could turn to for advice and support.

He did, however, have some preparation for the role from having local-level management experience. This included serving on the executive committee of Borden & Elliot (now part of BLG) and being involved with local graduate recruitment and marketing.

Weir also reached out to his old firm’s former chairman D’arcy Brooks (who was coming up to retirement age during the merger), as well as the managing partners of the regional firms, for support.

“At the time, many in this group had been senior to me and held their positions for years, so they were able to give me advice and direction that really helped my transition,” says Weir.

He continues to collaborate with these peers, other managing partners that he meets at industry conferences and forums, and consultants.

Jackson says he continues to use an external mentor after six years at the helm of Hill Dickinson. “I also have a network which I wouldn’t hesitate to utilise if the need arose and am close to several senior partners internally, whom I will turn to depending on the issue arising,” he adds.

Michael Shaw has also built an extensive network of informal mentors during his 15 years as managing partner at Cobbetts.

“I’ve been incredibly lucky in that I’ve had a number of people who I’ve regarded as mentors over the years who probably wouldn’t have labelled it such,” he says. “They were generous-spirited people and I wasn’t too proud to ask for help when I needed it.

“We started off in larger formalised groupings and it’s now been whittled down to four of us, who meet once or twice a year, based on the issues we’re facing. We have a very open relationship and it’s good to be able to speak to informed people outside of the firm who you can put absolute trust in,” says Shaw.

While he acknowledges the effectiveness of external peer networks, Ranson suggests that there can be a stigma associated with discussing issues with managing partners from other firms.

“I think there is a slight reluctance to air your dirty laundry with competitors,” he says. “Therefore it doesn’t happen as much as it might do. I’m not sure you could ever get rid of that feeling that you’re either giving away secrets or sharing your weaknesses.”

Blair shares a similar view. “Give a managing partner five minutes and he will talk about the issues impacting his business,” he reflects. “But on the other hand, there is a coyness about sharing anything that could be perceived as a weakness with another managing partner, unless he’s earned his spurs with you as an individual.”

Mutual respect and trust must therefore underpin every mentoring relationship, particularly when working with people from other firms. Clearly, both the mentor and the mentee need to know that confidentiality will not be compromised. This means avoiding discussion about specific clients or matters and being careful around the issues of potential conflicts and competition.

Weir has a simple yet effective approach to this: “Hear everything, say nothing”.

If you’re uncomfortable with the subject matter, others note, don’t get involved. Keep the discussion relevant, proactive and informative, but always take care with the level of sensitive or firm-specific detail that is shared.

Managing partners should also bear in mind that peer support is only truly effective when the mix of firms is similar. “There is quite a wide differentiation between some of the firms which other managing partners lead and they might be dealing with some issues that are very different to the ones that you’re facing,” notes Ranson.

 

A question of culture

Mentoring is clearly a highly effective mechanism for knowledge sharing and succession planning. However, it is also a vital part of longer-term leadership development. It provides an opportunity to use peers as sounding boards, to collaborate using lessons learnt and to challenge each other to develop innovative business strategy and effective ways of working.

But, as long as there is still a view among managing partners that they should not need to ask for help, it will be difficult to take advantage of the peer support at their disposal and this can be detrimental to their long-term success.

“Potentially it’s dangerous,” says Blair. “If you refuse to turn to others for help, you run the risk of making the wrong decisions, or making them at the wrong time. So, you need to go out there and ask the questions.”

Of course, there is also a cultural issue to be addressed. “It depends on whether the firm has a supportive environment,” says Shaw. “I have known ‘macho’ firms in the past which would have thought it somewhat odd to provide mentoring to senior people.”

Ranson believes that there shouldn’t be differentiation between managing partners and other individuals elsewhere in the business, who benefit from more formal mentoring arrangements.

“I don’t think you should feel that you’re having to reinvent the wheel if there is already experience there, which can help with your thought processes and responses to challenges,” he says.

If this mentality is overcome, mentoring should be a beneficial and rewarding experience to both the mentor and the mentee, especially if both approach the relationship with openness, honesty and effective planning.

“Don’t think that the problem you have is yours alone,” concludes Ranson. “There will be people out there who are facing the same challenges.”

Those who have received mentoring – and had positive experiences – will also be more likely to put themselves forward as mentors later, for the benefit of the next generation of leaders.

 

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Making the most of mentoring

Managing partners share the following tips for firm leaders looking to receive or offer peer mentoring.

Mentees

• Be objective. Don’t assume that something that worked for someone else, or in a different firm, will work for you. Seek inspiration, not solutions.

• Look outside the profession. Other managing partners will know your day-to-day issues, but your view will be blinkered if you don’t also interact with consultants and others from the professional services or corporate sector (whose firms might have more developed strategies).

• Exercise mutual respect. If you’re expecting someone to give up their time to help you, ensure you’re fully prepared. Treat sessions like business meetings. Make notes on what you’d like to cover and send them to your mentor in advance. Also take responsibility for organising your sessions.

• Take action. Be prepared to act on the advice provided by your mentor. This will be rewarding and motivating for them, as well as helpful for you.

• Set milestones. Agree clear goals and outcomes at the outset so that you are both working towards the same milestones.

• Be open. Demonstrate a willingness to learn. See mentoring as continuing professional development, not just the exchange of legal knowledge or quick fixes.

• Take your time. Mentoring should be an ongoing and evolving process.

Mentors

• Develop yourself. While mentoring is personally satisfying and an opportunity to share your insights and experiences with others, it also enables you to learn more about how individuals and teams respond to certain situations. Be prepared to take on new ways of thinking and engage with different perspectives.

• Remember that the conversation is two-way. Think carefully about how you provide ideas and feedback so that the dialogue is continuous and the relationship remains open and honest.

• Be committed. Time management is key, especially if you are still practising. If you’re willing to become a mentor, ensure that you can commit to the level of work required to make it successful.

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