LEADERSHIP: A SUCCESS SKILL OF THE 21ST CENTURY

SANTA CLARA BAR ASSOCIATION PROFESSOR ROBERT CULLEN

Ten Leading Lawyer Interviews

u Leon Panetta

u Rudy Giuliani

u Ben Heineman

u Ca. Supreme Ct. Justice Kennard

u Larry Sonsini

u Fred Krupp

u William Loris

u Deputy Assistant Attorney General Deborah Garza

u Elizabeth Cabraser

u Robert Grey

What Makes Some Lawyers Great? u  They practice law and they practice

leadership. u  Successful lawyers have the qualities that

distinguish them as fine lawyers; in addition, they incorporate leadership skills in their practice to create opportunities, build relationships and create positive change for their clients, their organizations, and their communities.

u  Leadership is an essential ingredient to an extraordinary career in law.

u  In short, extraordinary lawyers think like lawyers and think like leaders.

Leadership is for Everyone

u Myth: Leadership is reserved for a very few. u  Truth: Leadership is an observable set of skills

and abilities that can be learned, strengthened and enhanced; Leadership is everyone's business. (The Leadership Challenge, Barry Posner)

u  Truth: Leadership is your business. Your clients expect it.

u  Truth: You can improve your practice, business relationships, serve clients better as well as the community.

Why Should You Learn About and Practice Leadership ?

•  Clients are coming to expect their lawyers to be analytical advocates and problem solvers, team members, great communicators and creative thinkers.

•  You will be asked to participate in more of your clients affairs if you show leadership skills.

•  Our communities and our profession will benefit.

•  Within their organizations Leading Lawyers will excel with better teams, associates and staff and the best lawyers will be will be seen as effective and credible lawyers and leaders.

•  Developing a pattern of leadership enhances one's career and makes it more rewarding. Clients require it, our organizations and communities need it.

The Best Businesses Expect Leadership

“Lawyers are taught to be very powerful analytically, but they are not always taught to ask large questions and then to understand what tools are necessary to answer those questions…My view of leadership is broad. It is not just ‘legal leadership,’ it is leadership in a variety of different settings, whether it is intellectual, non-profit, for-profit, executive branch or legislative leadership.”

Ben Heineman, Jr. Retired GC for General Electric

Research on Leadership and Lawyers

u  Hay Group researchers studied the leadership styles of 33 partners in a top global law firm.

u  They compared 13 high-performing partners with 20 average performers in terms of revenue, strength of client relationships, and substantive skills.

u  Using Hay Group’s Leadership Style Inventory, which has been used with thousands of organizations in a variety of industries, each partner was assessed by associates whom they led on specific matters.

u  The inventory identifies six key styles: directive, visionary, affiliative, participative, pacesetting, and coaching.

Research

Leadership Styles and Skills

•  The outstanding lawyers used styles and skills that research has shown are more effective in long term employee performance.

•  They were more visionary, providing their teams much needed perspective and context while reinforcing the firm’s values.

•  They were also almost twice as participative, engaging associates and peers in critical discussions and decisions.

•  And they were effective coaches, providing long-term development and mentoring.

Results •  The high performers were twice as likely to be affiliative,

expressing concern for individuals as people with personal needs and desires, and not merely as revenue-generating billing machines.

•  The best partners also drew on the directive style: they were five times more likely to give specific directions and demand immediate action. But they used it as one of several styles. They occasionally “barked” at associates, but also coached and involved them.

“Clearly leadership makes a difference to the bottom line. The partners we studied did not end up in the outstanding group

because of their popularity, but because their results were better.”

Bell Lab Study: Robert Kelley

•  The study looked at the success and productivity of ‘Star’ scientists compared to the average: The Stars were not the ones with the highest IQ or worked the longest hours.

•  They developed strong networks. •  Helped colleagues to solve a problem or complete

a task. •  They gave others credit for success. •  Listened to others, did not impose only their ideas. •  Utilized the skills of others and put the objective of

their team before their own. •  Their was a link between both technical expertise

and interpersonal skills: all had technical expertise but the Stars in the group linked their expertise to interpersonal leadership skills.

Conclusion

The most effective lawyers use leadership skills to build positive relationships, think creatively,

entrepreneurially and cooperatively.

Discussion •  Draft a definition of Leadership –

Leadership is… •  List of Attorney Traits-Leadership

Traits •  List of Skills for Attorneys– Skills for

Leaders

Definition of Leadership u  The process of persuasion or example by

which an individual or leadership team induces a group to pursue objectives held by the leader or shared by the leader and his or her followers. John Gardner

u  Leadership is an identifiable set of skills and practices that are available to all of us, not just a few charismatic men and women. . . It is the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations. Kouzes and Posner

Cullen’s Definition

The process by which an individual or group

influences others to achieve positive, ethical change.

Big “L” Leadership Small “l” leadership

•  Not every situation you are in is a leadership situation.

•  Not every situation is a Big “L” Leadership situation (leading a large group of people).

•  But, many, many, many situations are small “l” leadership situations where the best behavior is to use collaboration, creative problem solving, team building, persuasion not advocacy in order to produce the best result.

•  Focus on small “l” leadership and you will be ready for Big L Leadership.

Traits of Leading Lawyers

u  Lawyers look back, Leading Lawyers are also visionaries.

u  Lawyers are deliberative, LL are also innovative and imaginative.

u  Lawyers are competitive and adversarial, LL are also inclusive, cooperative and are team builders.

u  Lawyers are sometimes focused inward; LL look outwards and inspire others.

u  Lawyers accept the status quo, LL challenge it.

21st Century Legal and Leadership Skills

§  Analytical ability (law school)

§  Subject Area Expertise!!

§  Leadership

§  Strategic –Systems Thinking

§  Entrepreneurship §  Teamwork-

Collaboration

§  Innovative and Creative Thinking Skills

§  Communication Skills

•  Influence-Persuasion •  Decision Making •  Networking •  General Business Skills •  Cross Cultural

Awareness

•  Emotional IQ •  Empathy •  Negotiations, Conflict

Resolution

Do You Agree? Why or Why Not?

We are moving from an economy and a society built on the logical,

linear, computer-like capabilities of the Information Age to an economy and a society build on the inventive, empathic, big-picture capabilities of

the Conceptual Age (page 1-2).

Dan Pink Whole New Mind

A Whole New Mind Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

“Information is cheap! But wisdom, artistry, creativity and

innovation – based on information becomes a rare and valuable asset

in our work setting and in our homes!

Author, Daniel H. Pink

Information Age vs. Conceptual Age The shift to right brain thinking reflects the move

from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age.

CONCEPTUAL AGE   (creators and empathizers)

  INFORMATION AGE (knowledge workers)

INDUSTRIAL AGE (factory workers)

AGRICULTURAL AGE (farmers) 

18th century 19th century 20th century 21st century * (from Daniel Pink’s book page 49.)

Right Brain Rising Two Half Brains...Designed to Work Together

Whole Brain Thinking

LEFT

Understands the Words Hears what is said (text)

Comprehends literal meaning See details Analyzes

Converges Sees categories

RIGHT

Sees the Picture Hears how it is said (context)

Comprehends metaphors Constructs big picture

Synthesizes Diverges

Sees relationships

My Conclusion

•  The Most Successful Lawyers are analytical and creative.

•  Logical and empathetic. •  Fact based and emotionally

aware. •  Detailed and also big picture

oriented. •  They use both sides of their brain.

•  Silicon Valley are full of these types: Steve Jobs, Elon Musk

Your Future- Where are you Going?

Your Career starts with your Vision.

What is the Vision for your future?

Vision •  A sense of where one wants to go and what

one wants to accomplish.

•  The sense of purpose and the ability to positively influence others.

•  Example: three workers chipping away at stones and asked what they are doing?

•  First person responds, “breaking rocks.”

•  Second person responds, “making a wall.”

•  Third person responds, “building a Cathedral.”

Wayne Gretzky: I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been.

Some Ideas on Success and Significance

•  If you don’t find your cathedral– you may not be very satisfied practicing law (or worse the 3 Ds).

•  One needs to find a sense of purpose and meaning in the practice of law– leadership can help.

•  Helping create positive change in your office and your community could be one of those cathedrals.

•  Focus on Success and Significance– creating positive change for yourself, others, your clients and your community!!

The Challenge

Leon Panetta

“As we've seen, we're living in a time of great challenge. It's not only the challenges and crises that confront our political system, but, in a real way, those are also challenges that confront our judicial system, and they're big challenges….. As a lawyer, you’re getting a license, not only to practice law; you’re getting a license to be a leader”.

If you don’t know where you are going, you

might wind up someplace else.

Yogi Berra Hall of Fame- New York Yankee- 18 time All

Star-

Challenging Lawyers to become Leading Lawyers

•  What is the vision for your career?

•  What will you do for your clients, organizations and the community to help create positive change?

•  You, and the attorneys with whom you work can accomplish positive change for yourselves, in your career and for others if you choose to practice Leadership.

•  OK– What is your Plan– write down 3- 5 things you may want to accomplish– to improve and lead.