Whether you have just been appointed as a group leader or you are a battle-scarred veteran, you know that managing professional people is difficult! 
<ul>
<li>Intelligent professionals are often free-agents, accustomed to having autonomy to work on grueling assignments with little supervision, and always relentlessly demanding of themselves and others. How do you actually add value as a group leader, or even get these people to accept your guidance? </li>
<li>How do you deal with those oh-so-talented but oh-so-annoying professionals who exhibit attitude problems or are just exceedingly difficult to work with, when you need them but they needle you? </li>
<li>How do you avoid unsettling group meetings where you meet for no clear purpose; people drift in and out at random times; the power players dominate discussions; and everyone brings along their favorite axe to grind? </li>
<li>How do you actually inspire your group to bone-satisfying performance?</li>
</ul>
In this strikingly unique "playbook," professional service experts Patrick J. McKenna and David H. Maister provide real-world examples, a wealth of self-evaluation materials, and concrete advice on stressful day-to-day management issues that every leader of professionals will welcome. The authors offer penetrating insights into the basics of coaching, dividing their attention equally between energizing and guiding the individual performer and the group. 
There has never been a book quite like this. First Among Equals is essential reading for practice leaders and group heads in the professional sector as well as managers of highly talented, technical knowledge workers anywhere. The lessons and learnings presented here will give you insights and action tips to help you provoke and inspire your people to their full potential.

First Among Equals: How to Manage a Group of Professionals

Business & Money

Maister, David H.

McKenna, Patrick J.

Economics

Free Press

Professional service gurus David Maister and Patrick McKenna have created a practical handbook on how to lead professional colleagues or peers when you lack formal authority. Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge calls it “a timely, easy to read work leavened with action plans and examples.” Whether you have recently been appointed as a group leader or are a battle-scarred veteran, you know that managing professional people is difficult! In this unique handbook, Patrick J. McKenna and David H. Maister argue that leaders will best enable their people to achieve peak performance not by managing them, not by leading them, but by inspiring them. The authors show you how to actually add value as a group leader or induce people to accept your guidance, even with intelligent professionals who are often free-agents accustomed to having automony to work on grueling assignments with little supervision. They also give advice on how to handle those oh-so-talented but oh-so-annoying professionals who exhibit attitude problems or are just exceedingly difficult to work with, when you need them but they tend to needle you. The lessons and learning presented here will give you insights and action tips to help you provoke and inspire your people to their full potential.

Industries

Managing people when you're not their boss is a challenge, particularly in professional service firms where, increasingly, top professionals are being tapped to lead their peers. Now Patrick McKenna and David Maister provide a 'play book' for professionals trying to be both a team member and coach. In industies ranging from banking and insurance to law and engineering, as well as in research labs and software companies, management responsibility is increasingly delegated - usually without guidance - to those who head up smaller teams of professionals. FIRST AMONG EQUALS speaks directly to those who have gone from focusing on their own performance to being a group manager in charge of leading others. From understanding the group leader role to setting terms of reference and effectively dealing with talented prima donnas, McKenna and Maister present a thorough introduction to managing and orchestrating talent.

First Among Equals

Free P.,U.S.

Rise of the Legal COO

Bull, Chris

Mitchell, Alastair

Perkins, James G.

Prescott, Blane R.

Harrington, Rod

Gini, Sherry

DeLargy, Michael L.

Legal Education

Globe Law And Business

Measuring and Managing Performance for Law Firms

Smith, Christopher

Wilkinson, Barry

Fuller, Patrick

Sterling, John

Brown,Tony

King, Jill

Snape, Jeremy

Jarrett-Kerr, Nick

Tackling Partner Underperformance

Reeser, Edwin

Lyon, Angus

Ethics & Professional Responsibility

Today's law firm is an entity in flux. Economic and technological disruption - along with a range of other factors - have contributed to this change, meaning that firms are not what they used to be. It is therefore a necessity that the way they are managed also needs to change. This means, among many things, the need to corporatize the running of the firm; a move away from the focus on the billable hour towards more intangible activities such as business development and marketing and - perhaps the most important factor - the development of a new kind of leader within the legal landscape. The new kind of leader now demanded by a transformed legal profession is not readily forthcoming, however. Legal culture stresses individualism and independence, which is reinforced by firm governance, practice management, and performance management systems that are ill-suited to foster supportive and collaborative leadership practices; lawyers are trained and conditioned to be combative, autonomous, and didactic. To position oneself as a contender in a fast-moving and competitive market, the legal leader of the future must push back against these trends by acting strategically, engaging in people management, investing in their employees, and creating a working environment that places emphasis on communication, teamwork, and growth and development. Legal leadership: a handbook for future success combines the latest and most relevant intelligence from those on the frontline of law firm leadership and management, to serve as the catalyst for change and the foundation on which a strong leadership practice can be built. Drawing on their expertise and experience, our authors - ranging from behavioral psychologists to senior management figures and pofessional coaches -present a wide range of competencies and strategies to cultivate as part of a leader's personal and professional development. Whether you are already a member of your firm's senior management, or in a junior position with big aspirations, Legal leadership: a handbook for future success provides the essential tools to equip you to become a leader of the future.

Legal leadership: A Handbook for Future Success

Walker, Edward

Chalmers, Thomas

Murray, Bob

Borland, Russell

Chamberlain, Rosalie

Fortinberry, Alicia

Paterson, Ian

O’Rourke, Gabriella

Trueheart, Harry P.

Larkin-Wong, Katherine

Horizon Scanning: Modernizing Legal Service Delivery

Kerr, David

Juetten, Mary

Williams, Paul.

Rosenthal, Jerry

Galbenski, David

Hassay, Wayne

Whittle, Jon

Neitlich, Merry

Williams, Jason P.

Cemenska, Nathan

Endel Bassli InnoLegal Services PLLC, Lucy

In the five years since the first edition of this book published, there has been an accelerated rise in the number and influence of COO roles in the legal sphere. No longer the preserve of the largest national and international firms, mid-tier firms and even New Law and alternative legal service providers are considering a COO as a potential - perhaps even essential - component of law firm management, to achieve increased efficiency, productivity, and meet the demands of a highly competitive market.With contributions from a number of current law firm COOs, alongside some of the most respected and sought-after consultants working in this space, this second edition of Rise of the Legal COO examines the scope and variety of the legal COO role, and how the challenges and demands of the position have altered as law firms have evolved. It contains updated chapters from the first edition, and several brand new chapters covering topics such as:How the COO can enable innovation and digital transformation in their firm;The COO's role in managing profitability and client engagement;The use of data in law firm management; andThe New Law COO.There are also all-new, exclusive interviews with legal COOs from a variety of national and international firms, covering topics ranging from the importance of relationships and adapting to the new hybrid, post-COVID world, to encouraging innovation in firms and strategies to recruit and retain talent.There is no doubt that a good COO is an invaluable part of a firm's management team, and the opportunities for talented individuals with broad operational management skills will continue to grow. Heavily backed up by the first-hand experience of the contributors, this title provides essential guidance to the current and future legal COO on the skills and strategies they need to succeed, and to law firms on how to recruit, integrate, and develop a COO who will be a good match for their culture and help them achieve their ambitions.

Attracting and retaining talent within the legal field is a key issue. Talent in the Legal Profession: How to Attract, Retain and Engage Top Talent sheds light on the pressing issues that law firms face in in order to secure and maintain top-level legal talent.

Talent in the Legal Profession: How to Attract, Retain and Engage Top Talent

Dudley, Robert

Holdredge, Rebecca

Harnetty, Anne

McGregor, Catherine

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