As law firms, big and small, continue to struggle, it begs the question, what is going on? And (more to the point) what can be done to improve a firm’s odds of thriving in this emerging marketplace. The answer to this question is one of those good-news/bad-news situations. The good news is that, for most firms, the answer is simple and straight forward.

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The training most successful lawyers receive rarely focuses on the skills essential for success as a leader. Much has been written on the difference between what it takes to be a successful business leader and the career experience of most successful lawyers. Deborah Rhode’s paper — What Lawyers Lack: Leadership — is particularly good.