The ‘strong man’ leader is no longer fit for purpose; today’s legal leaders and beyond have to be prepared to show vulnerability, find an authentic style of leading that resonates with others. We need diverse ideas and perspectives to do this.
On Tuesday 7 July we held the latest webinar in our Brave New Law series which explored the theme of leading in extremity. The key ideas and themes that came out of this webinar were overwhelmingly, the importance of emotional intelligence and empathy for leaders.
Empathy is fundamental during COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter. The culminative effects of stress on individuals is a concern; leaders must be more deliberate in understanding their teams and role modelling behaviours. The changing nature of modern work means empathy is not a 9-5 skill; leaders have to be attuned to the whole context of employees’ situations.
Our audience and panellists felt there’s often too much focus on the leader in much leadership theory and training and not enough on the team and those who follow. Leadership skills should also be a consideration much earlier on in the legal profession. But leading is always a work in progress.
