I have recently been reading the article “Herding Cats; The Lawyer Personality Revealed” by Dr. Larry Richard, which is an – albeit dated – study on lawyers’ personality traits compared to the general public.
The research showed that lawyers have these traits compared to the average population:
-High levels of skepticism (“People who score high on this trait tend to be skeptical, even cynical, judgmental, questioning, argumentative and somewhat self-protective”).
-High levels of urgency, i.e. “impatience, a need to get things done, a sense of immediacy”, which may result in poor listening, interrupting, finishing other’s sentences and jumping to conclusions.
-Low levels of sociability, intended as a discomfort in initiating new intimate relationships with others, preferring to relying on existing relationships. This may be at odds with the people-focus in our profession, and in fact ‘rainmakers’ score 3.5 higher than ‘service partners’ in the study.
-Very high levels of autonomy. Lawyers resist being told what to do and prize their independence. This must be even more true for Ally Law lawyers, given the emphasis on independence that our members firms place.
The study does not mention that lawyers are also intelligent and highly motivated, which means it is often a joy to work with them!
However, based on my empirical, yet long, experience in law firms, I have found the study to be pretty accurate. If you are leading a firm, a practice group, or just a few associates, surely you have noticed that these traits make management difficult. Introducing change, or even simply planning a firm’s retreat, is often encountered with cynicism and opposition. Unless you have the contagious enthusiasm of Sarah Badten of our Alaska member firm, it may feel disheartening to routinely face opposition to your initiatives. Be reassured that this is absolutely normal.
How do you ensure a firm’s cohesion when you are, in fact, “herding cats”? A firm composed entirely of highly autonomous, low-sociability individuals may operate smoothly in prosperous times, yet it becomes fragile when faced with external economic pressures, as partners are often the first to walk away when difficulties arise.
Additionally, aside from the marketing jargon that can be found on our websites highlighting that our firm offers “interdisciplinary services” and a “one stop shop”, lawyers must work together. Given the ultra-specialized nature of complex legal services, clients often need to be assisted by more than one firm’s team. Cooperation tends to be one of the firm’s values because seamless collaboration between lawyers is essential to optimize the client’s experience with the firm.
Dr. Larry Richard has a recipe for these issues: test the personality of the people you are working with (and you are hiring) and make sure that they are diverse. I remember a great presentation by Christophe Gerschel of our France member firm at the Ally Law AGM in Sydney a couple of years ago showing how testing personalities had proved to be a great tool for them.
Dr. Richard concludes: “Bear in mind that greater diversity is almost always an advantage when it comes to personality. The key is understanding how to build a big tent while at the same time creating a culture in which differences are valued rather than becoming fuel for conflict. A diverse firm, with a culture that truly values diversity, will provide a greater competitive advantage than a firm filled with one basic personality style.”
In short: a good mix of personalities will make your firm stronger. Have fun building that big tent!
