Who should become Managing Partner – the Medical Director Dilemma

Legal publications like to talk about managing partners as if they were a homogenous group of interchangeable managers. Well, they’re not. Every law firm is different and requires a different set of characteristics from its leaders. But who should be elected as your next managing partner?

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The Medical Director Dilemma

The first time I heard about this dilemma, which in the course of this article we will be applying to the legal profession, the person addressing it called it “the Medical Director Dilemma”. The person asked a question to the effect of: “Out of a pool of four candidates, who all want to be promoted to the Medical Director position, large hospitals’ top medical position, who should get the promotion?

- Doctor A, a loyal and hard-working medical practitioner who has been with the hospital for her entire three-decade long career?

- Doctor B, who has not excelled as a medical practitioner, however, is a great organizer, produces flawless reports and is always on top of his schedule?

- Doctor C, who is a first-class surgeon, performing the hospital’s most profitable surgeries and contributing greatly to its outstanding reputation?

- Doctor D, who is loved by patients, colleagues and employees alike?”

Each of the four candidates can make the case for their promotion. But who deserves it the most? And is the most deserving candidate also the best choice?

Thinking about the most deserving candidate, one might be drawn to Doctor A, who has proven to be a loyal and hard-working physician most probably with a deep institutional knowledge about the hospital, or Doctor C, the hospital’s most profitable and most reputable figure. However, bearing in mind that the Medical Director position has less to do with practicing medicine and more with management and leadership issues, wouldn’t it make more sense to promote Doctor B, who seems to be an outstanding administrator, or Doctor D, who appears to be a top communicator? Rationally thinking, yes, it would. However, then again, it depends…

The Managing Partner Dilemma?

Every couple of years, law firms are faced with the question of (re)electing a managing partner for their firm. In some firms, these races are contested with several candidates throwing their hat in the ring, while in others potential managing partner candidates have to be sought after and recruited by the partnership. However, independent of the above, the question remains the same: what are the qualities that make for a good managing partner?

Comparing this situation to the above example of the Medical Director candidates, potential Managing Partner candidates could be the following:

- Partner A, who has been with the firm since the very beginning of her career. She knows its history as well as every person within the firm.

- Partner B, whose book of business is below-average, who, however, proves himself to be an asset within the firm for constantly volunteering for committee assignments and administrative roles.

- Partner C, who is the firm’s top rainmaker. Industry magazines highlight her star status as well as her unmatched ability to acquire large mandates.

- Partner D, who is a great communicator and connector within the firm, always willing and able to work with other partners or practice groups in order to best serve the interest of his clients.

Who of the above would be the most deserving, or more importantly, best suited candidate for the position as the firm’s Managing Partner? As with the Medical Director example, it depends. It namely depends on what the firm’s goals and the partners’ expectations of their law firm’s leader are.

What is your Firm looking for?

In a smaller firm, where partners enjoy great autonomy and largely act as independent practitioners operating under a shared roof, Partner A could be a good option. Due to her experience, seniority and knowledge of the firm’s history, she enjoys some standing within the firm and can therefore act as moderator in partner meetings or as a spokesperson to the outside. She won’t bring around much change, which, however, wouldn’t be appreciated by the autonomously acting partners anyways.

Partner B is a suited candidate for a firm that is in need of an administrator, someone that takes care of the back office, plans partner meetings and retreats as well as tries to best serve the other partners’ needs. His experience and apparent strength in administrative roles make him a perfect match for the role, while the loss of the revenue previously generated by his below-average book of business is comparatively small and can be offset by other partners.

Partner C enjoys a lot of standing within the firm due to her being the firm’s top rainmaker and a well-known practitioner in the legal industry. However, as the firm’s top revenue creator, spending her time on administrative matters would be an expensive endeavor in terms of opportunity costs. She would therefore be suitable for a firm with a well-functioning administrative apparatus so that she can focus on the big picture issues. Her standing within the firm will allow her to make tough decisions and change the firm’s course – all while maintaining her flourishing practice.

Partner D is an excellent choice in a firm with a very egalitarian culture, where partners have chosen a governance structure emphasizing the roles of committees instead of a hierarchy. As a proven connector and great communicator he is in the perfect position to build bridges between committees, practice groups, partners and even generations within the firm.

Every law firm is different, no group of partners is alike another. Thus, there is no Managing Partner profile that would suit the needs of every firm. It’s the partners’ responsibility to make sure they are on the same page when it comes to defining a Managing Partner’s role within the firm (and be honest about it) and then pick a leader that fits the defined role. Let’s go down that road, keep the eyes on the ball and find (and groom) suitable candidates within your organization.