Recently we had the privilege of attending a small gathering to celebrate the retirement of a longtime partner and friend. It was an evening full of stories, laughter and reminiscing among the colleagues that gathered. Our friend, whom we will call “Bob,” because he never liked attention, was leaving a legacy to people in attendance, all whose lives, both professional and personal, were made better because of his time as a mentor, teacher, boss, partner and friend. As we reflect on that evening and Bob’s impact, we wanted to share a few of the things about Bob’s way of developing his team that are worth imitation.
He went the extra mile to invest in his team. Bob made a point of training his associates to become excellent lawyers and paid for secretaries to get paralegal training so they could advance in their careers. His door was almost always open, except when he put a sticky note on the door that said, “Not Now,” and he would gladly stop what he was doing to help talk through an issue that was stumping a colleague. He helped some lawyers reinvent their careers by developing expertise in a new area of the law. These efforts created a sense of belonging that translated into longtime employees and colleagues that formed a well-operating team.
He insisted that team members stretch themselves. Bob made it a point to force young attorneys to operate outside their comfort zone by placing them in situations where they were required to sink or swim. One of his favorite (and frequently used) tactics involved having an associate prepare him for a hearing and then attend the hearing to watch Bob argue the motion. However, as they drove to the courthouse, Bob would announce that the associate was going to handle the hearing. He would remind the terrified associates that they knew the arguments well enough to prepare him, so they were themselves prepared to conduct the hearing. Although Bob undoubtably took a devilish measure of enjoyment in seeing the startled look on the faces of those associates, his purpose was to have the young lawyer learn that they could succeed in handling a stressful and unexpected task. When one of the recipients of this treatment recounted the experience at Bob’s send-off, he recounted that it made him a better lawyer. Others at the gathering who had the same experience agreed. Bob smiled and reminded us that was the point of the exercise.
Another of Bob’s tactics was to insist that young lawyers argue the law with him. That was no easy task because Bob was an imposing figure both in his legal acumen and his physical stature. However, Bob would say that if you couldn’t stand up to him then you couldn’t feel comfortable to stand up to opposing counsel.
Were these and other similar tactics a test? You bet they were, but they were done with an eye to growing the lawyer facing the trial. We would all do well to take the view that a test given with success as the goal is an important tool for developing your lawyers.
He was loyal to those who worked for and with him. Bob was fiercely loyal to those who worked for him—lawyers and staff alike. Everyone at the gathering for his retirement had been the beneficiary of that loyalty. For some, he had spent political capital to ensure that they were treated fairly when it would have been beneficial to him personally not to have done so. Others were the recipients of his grace and patience when difficult times outside the office interfered with their ability to give full attention to their work. More than one was the recipient of a second chance. That loyalty bred loyalty in return. In going the extra mile for Bob, they also went the extra mile for Bob’s clients. Indeed, many of their successes would have been impossible in an environment where team members were not so loyal.
We thank Bob for what he has meant to us and hope that these stories inspire you as you lead your own teams.
