Shannon & Manch LLP | Leadership Development

Challenging times have increased demands on leaders and intensified concerns for a "leadership pipeline" in many firms. Navigating the new legal marketplace will require extraordinary leadership and a leadership pipeline. Preparation is the key to developing this pipeline, as leadership capabilities do not emerge overnight. Leaders are not born - they are made and excellence at anything requires practice. Most associates and partners get little practice leading, particularly leading strategically. Read on to learn how Shannon & Manch can help your lawyers realize their full potential.

Leadership Development Programs

Our training and development programs are designed to build the leadership skills your firm needs. We help you identify the core competencies of leadership at your firm and design programs targeted to the development of those skills. We offer program models for associates and partners. Our programs can be customized to meet your firm's needs and address these critical aspects of leadership:

Self awareness and emotional intelligence
Expectations of leaders
Strategic planning
Consensus building
Conflict resolution
Decision making
Establishing and working toward a vision

Leadership Coaching

Our programs can be designed to include one-on-one coaching to support lawyers in identifying developmental needs and setting goals to address them. Whether focused on the challenges inherent in managing others, interpersonal communication issues, or stepping up to meet new leadership responsibilities, coaching can be an important success strategy. Coaching plans are always unique, but include these key elements:

Completing a self-assessment
Examining and clarifying organizational expectations
Determining factors that will enhance or inhibit success
Setting priorities
Defining strengths and areas for development
Setting specific, attainable, and measurable goals
Developing an action plan and timeline
Creating a strategy to measure success

There is no set pattern for the coaching process because to be successful, we believe it should be tailored to the needs and interests of the individual. Coaching services are provided in one-on-one, confidential sessions held in person or over the telephone. We offer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior® inventories, and a customized 360° review process along with assessment tools of our own design, support materials that assist in charting progress, and access to our web-based resource materials.

Leadership & Managerial Skills Training and Workshops

Delegation, feedback and team building are critical skills for all lawyers. In order for junior lawyers to be most productive, lawyers tasked with managing projects and the performance of others can benefit from tailored workshops focused on the core skills necessary for competence as a manager and leader. We offer sessions designed to address the specific challenges supervisory lawyers face.

Some of our most popular programs include:

Effective Feedback: Developing communication skills among supervisory lawyers.
New Partner Training: Getting the new class of partners off to a great start with grounding in the foundations of leadership and performance management.
Developmental Supervision: Focused on helping experienced supervisors take their skills to the next level, building in more time for feedback and mentoring.
Leading from the Middle: Targeting the mid-level and senior associate challenges of managing both upward and downward.
Leadership for Women: Helping women lawyers build core skills in leading others while considering some of the unique challenges faced by women leaders.

For more information, please contact us.