Noticias de la Cámara
The Legal CEO | Francesc Dominguez
25/05/2022
If the CEO’s direct role or responsibility is to “connect” the market with the firm, legal marketing, in the same way, acts as the link between the firm and its market.
Election criteria for selecting a CEO
The CEO or managing partner, whether internal or external, should be chosen on the basis of meritocratic criteria that include the assessment of competencies such as business insight, delegation skills, relations management, client portfolio and, of course, personality, attitude, style and, essentially, leadership skills. It is far from enough for the legal CEO to be a competent or prestigious lawyer; he or she must also be a flexible leader, able to adapt to the circumstances and to the team of professionals he or she has.
Qualities of the CEO or managing partner
Moderation and prudence are two qualities expected of the firm’s top executive or “ambassador,” as well as of aspiring legal CEOs. A competent CEO is willing to learn, they know how to ask their staff the right questions, how to see, value and reward those partners or professionals who help them to be a better CEO and who think not only of their own benefit but also, and most importantly, that of the firm.
The best CEOs, those who contribute effectively to the positioning and marketing of their firm’s services, have certain common traits: they take care of their good name (their personal brand) in an intuitive, or sometimes methodical but, in general, in a coherent and constant manner, and they do so based on three factors: 1. Self-knowledge and knowledge of their social perception. 2. Positioning their personal brand in line with the corporate brand. 3. Gaining visibility as part of effective advanced planning and scheduling.
The above is also valid for aspiring CEOs, whose image should be equally or even more carefully honed, as well as for partners and senior associates, as representatives of the firm.
Successful CEOs surround themselves with partners or advisors who help them make the right decisions. They have strategic foresight, that is, they are clear about where the firm is heading. They focus not only on the short term but also on the medium and long term; they avoid the ailment of “short-term thinking,” which is so prevalent in law firms. They see the short term for what it really is: a stage on the way to achieving medium and long-term goals.
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