In our Ask a Recruiter feature, our specialist recruitment team tackles key topics around attraction, recruitment and retention.
This month, Bill Szajna-Hopgood, specialist in Private Client and Court of Protection recruitment, shares his advice with a law firm looking to develop its next generation of leaders and give talented lawyers the support they need to step confidently into leadership roles.
“We have several talented lawyers who are beginning to take on more responsibility, alongside others who have recently stepped into leadership positions.
How can we better support new and aspiring leaders so they can develop the skills they need to lead their teams effectively?”
Being a great lawyer and being a great leader require different skills.
Someone can be technically excellent and highly respected by their colleagues, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll immediately feel comfortable managing people. Suddenly, they’re expected to delegate, give feedback, manage different personalities, and support others’ development, often alongside their own caseload.
If you want your future leaders to succeed, it’s important to support that transition rather than expecting them to learn everything as they go.
1. Start Before the Promotion
Don’t wait until someone becomes a Partner, Head of Department or Team Leader to start developing their leadership skills.
Give aspiring leaders opportunities to mentor junior colleagues, supervise work, lead projects or contribute to team decisions. They’ll gain useful experience, while you can identify where they might need additional support.
It also gives the individual an opportunity to decide whether leadership is genuinely the direction they want their career to take.
2. Invest in the Skills They’ll Actually Need
Leadership training shouldn’t just be a box-ticking exercise.
Think about the situations your new managers will encounter day to day. Giving constructive feedback, having difficult conversations, delegating effectively, coaching junior colleagues and managing performance are all skills that can be developed.
Giving people these tools before they need them can make stepping into leadership far less daunting.
3. Define What Good Leadership Means at Your Firm
Your future leaders need to understand what’s expected of them beyond financial performance.
If developing people matters to your firm, make that part of how you measure successful leadership. That might include regular one-to-ones, meaningful career conversations, recognising good work and creating an environment where team members feel comfortable raising concerns.
4. Make Sure Your Leaders Have Someone to Turn To
New leaders are expected to support their teams, but they need support too.
Pairing them with an experienced mentor can give them a valuable sounding board when they encounter a difficult situation. Regular check-ins can also help you spot where someone needs additional training or guidance before a problem develops.
5. Remember That Leadership Isn’t the Only Route to Progression
Not every ambitious lawyer wants to manage a team – and that’s absolutely fine.
Creating progression routes for technical specialists alongside your leadership pathway means people don’t feel they have to become managers to progress. In turn, you’re more likely to have leaders who genuinely enjoy developing and supporting others.
Developing the Leaders You Want to Keep
For many lawyers, progression isn’t simply about their next job title. They want to understand where their career is heading and feel they’re being given the opportunities and support to get there.
Investing in aspiring leaders can therefore have a wider impact on engagement and retention. It gives ambitious lawyers something meaningful to work towards while building the leadership capability your firm will need as it grows.
If you’re reviewing your progression or succession plans, get in touch with Realm. As specialist legal recruiters, we can share insight into what lawyers are looking for from their careers and help you shape an attraction and retention strategy that supports your firm’s longer-term goals.
