Successful firms share key characteristics regardless of the service offering or market. They can establish and communicate their business strategy.
They can work in tandem with their clients and colleagues. This quality should be a priority when choosing your legal counsel.
Client Focus
It’s important to remember that clients are the reason your firm exists. They pay your bills, and if they aren’t happy with the service they get from you, they will take their business elsewhere. So, a law firm needs to have extreme client focus.
To have true client focus, a law firm must be transparent and listen to its clients. They need to ask their clients for feedback and create client collaboration programs that allow them to participate directly in discussions about how the firm can add value. For instance, a law firm in Westerville uses a secure file-sharing system to provide up-to-the-minute progress reports to clients. This shows they care about their clients and are willing to go the extra mile.
Expertise
As a client, you want to ensure that the people handling your case have the expertise to do the job. They should understand the breadth and depth of your business, know industry trends, and work proactively to mitigate risk for you. In the law firm world, your advisers must be true experts in their field of practice and be confident in what they can do for you. They should be able to demonstrate their expertise with evidence of past successes.
Integrity
Integrity is one of the most essential qualities for law firm leadership. Lawyers with integrity have a solid work ethic and greater vision that they can communicate to their partners.
A core definition of integrity involves a formal incompatibility between particular principles and goals. So, for example, a person who sets a great store by seeking pleasure but never has a hedonistic experience lacks integrity. Likewise, the single-minded pursuit of approval lacks integrity.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a crucial skill for lawyers to succeed. Strong emotional intelligence can help them in many ways, from presenting cases to clients to handling stressful situations. High EQ leaders can handle change and inspire their people, creating a positive work culture. They also possess strong communication skills, allowing them to explain complicated legal matters clearly. Lawyers with strong EQ can identify their emotions and understand how they affect their behaviors. For example, they can recognize the difference between anger and frustration. They can also read non-verbal cues and adapt their communication style accordingly. This allows them to connect with their clients and create trust.
Teamwork
In the context of a law firm, teamwork is a skill that fosters clear communication and facilitates the coordination of resources. It’s essential when addressing complex legal matters since a collaborative approach allows lawyers to leverage the collective wisdom of a diverse group of minds to deliver superior results to clients.
