Lawyers and Leadership
There are countess numbers of theories on leadership. Professionals and scholars have spent several years in analyzing the traits that make a great leader. While many traditional leadership theories rest on the fact that some people are born leaders, where as there are other schools of thought that strives on the belief that the leadership skills are sharpened depending upon the environment and personal traits of the leader.
It was Joel Kurtzman in the year 1994, who coined the term “thought leader”. A “thought leader” is said to possess all the leadership qualities that a leader is supposed to possess. Organizational and administrative qualities, ability to keep a group intact, incorporation of points of views of all the team members, coming up with unique points of interest are some of the traits that a “thought leader” is supposed to possess, says A. Harrison Barnes the CEO of Legal Authority. Lawyers, who are “thought leaders”, can easily build up a strong clientele base. The lawyers possessing this personality trait, easily stands out of the crowd. These attorneys are extremely qualified, knowledgeable and professional. These legal professionals contribute very positively towards their community.
The lawyers with excellent academic background must also be resourceful. The competent lawyers possessing leadership qualities must engage themselves in motivating his associates and partners so that they can excel in their career. The ‘can-do’ attitude is imparted by the lawyers who possess leadership qualities says A. Harrison Barnes the CEO of legalauthority.com. The leaders are looked upon by the subordinates as their idol. The leadership qualities in lawyer, helps the associates and partners as well as the colleagues to handle crisis situation meticulously.
The CEO of Legal Authority, A. Harrison Barnes points out that the lawyers must possess the following qualities:
The lawyers with Leadership Qualities must have foresight. He must be aware of what ever is going around him. He should devise unique measures that will not only ensure that the previous clients are retained but also will be helpful for attracting new clients. The lawyers must be aware and abreast with the latest news about the job market, analyze and strategize the best ways for providing services. Among the leadership skills, the most important are the analytical, interpersonal and communicative skills. The lawyer must be able to devise measures that are conducive to effective communication. He must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills so that he can communicate his ideas effectively and meaningfully.
The lawyers who are committed to the cause of their clients, can be said to be true leaders says A. Harrison Barnes. The lawyers must ensure that he respects the privacy of his clients and they must not discuss about the case with any outsiders or even with any of his associates. The lawyers, by virtue of their profession, possess certain powers and authorities that are not possessed by the civilians, says A. Harrison Barnes. They must ensure that these powers are not utilized for the aggrandizement of their own self interest. The lawyers who commit themselves to the cause of the clients are said to be true leaders. The lawyers must be able to provide service to their clients in a time bound manner. Planning and organization are very important, the lawyers need to analyze his current position, and must not take up any future projects in case he feels he wont be able to deliver them on time.
Among the various other leadership qualities possessed by the lawyers, his capability of execution also is an important parameter that determines the lawyer’s leadership qualities. The lawyers must make use of innovative ideas and strategies while launching new concepts before putting them into action. The lawyers with every passing year tend to gain more expertise and unique experience in the field of legal profession, this enables them to deal with the legal cases more competently says A. Harrison Barnes. The leadership quality of lawyer is determined on the basis of his networking skills. The networking skills enable a lawyer to expand his business contacts which will enable him to excel in his legal career.
The lawyers possessing the above mentioned leadership qualities, easily stands out of the crowd. They earn tremendous amount of respect and reverence from the clients and are often tagged as “trusted adviser” by their potential clients says A. Harrison Barnes. The publicity that the lawyer receives, help them to excel in their legal career. The lawyers share their views, coming up with unique marketing tools in the conferences, which then become a very effective marketing tool. The leadership quality in the lawyer, enable him to shift people’s traditional believes. They assist the people around them to try out innovative and new ideas.
Elizabeth Martinez - Ph.D. - Organizational Psychology. Provides you with a deep level of insight into your career direction and career development. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/lawyers-and-leadership-1492832.html
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