DEVELOPING YOUR LAW FIRM LEADERSHIP ROLE.

• Author: Coulter, Silvia

Many business professionals seek the role of a leader. As we know, there are many more not-so-good leaders than there are good leaders. What makes the difference? Think about the leaders in your life. Which characteristics defined a good leader, and which characteristics defined a bad leader? Looking back on all or part of your career will help you to become a stronger leader.

Here are some tips:

Stay true to your words. If honesty and integrity, for example, are important to you, you must also be honest and have high integrity. This means doing the right thing all the time and standing by what is best for your team and not a favored individual. When people see that you remain true to your ideals, they will have high respect for you and trust you.

Tell the truth. If you mess up, you mess up--plain and simple. Admitting you were not entirely truthful in a given situation (e.g., covering up, trying to help someone) is a sign of courage. Someone will know you were not truthful ... and it's rarely forgotten.

Build constructive behaviors. Help people see their potential. Be happy for them and not jealous. When people feel supported, they will support their leader, and they will be motivated to do their very best. When they feel otherwise (micromanaged, not given credit for their work, corrected for no reason, etc.) they will wither and leave. Constructive behaviors include feedback--positive and negative (but negative with suggestions for growth), recognition among others and support (having their back so-to-speak).

Trust others. Trusting people on your team is essential. There are always two sides to a story, and we are in an environment that finds fault far more often than provides kudos. Embrace people and show them trust. They will produce good work and will be inspired by your leadership.

Make the tough decisions. Making tough decisions is not easy, but not making them will hurt any leader's effectiveness. Remember, others will always be watching. While praise and recognition for a job well done are important, waiting too long to deal with an issue on the team will erase a lot of your credibility.

Do what's right for the team. Even when the short-term repercussions might feel off-putting, in the long run, putting your team first will always be what's best--for you and the other members of your group. This includes acting quickly when someone is trying to hurt members of your team. Bad behavior cannot be...