Think Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and, most recently, Barack Obama in the United States. In Australia, the legal profession is currently represented at the very top by Malcolm Turnbull. Ex-lawyers who have played key parts in Australian politics also include John Howard, Julia Gillard, and Julie Bishop.

There is obviously a pattern here. Legal expertise may have helped these people achieve professional success and social prominence, but their rise to such heights could not have been possible without one crucial attribute: leadership skills. Their legal background taught them to inspire trust, motivate those around them, communicate effectively, manage conflicts, and set clear goals.

Leadership is not management

It is very important to understand that leadership and management are not the same thing. While top-level executives will be poor custodians without leadership skills, a law office will not thrive unless such skills are found at all levels of the business.

The key here is to distinguish between developing leadership skills and developing individual leaders. The former is what will turn novice lawyers into better professionals and perhaps elevate them to an executive position one day. It is leadership skills that will give them the confidence to set higher goals, lead their own projects, assume greater responsibilities, and gradually move on to bigger things. The skills they develop in the beginning will later give them the courage to lead big-scale projects, preside over cases, and supervise teams.

Better leadership skills make better lawyers

Not every aspiring lawyer can end up running a country or holding a ministerial post. However, leadership skills can help advance their career and allow these enthusiastic beginners to be the best professionals that they can.

And when lawyers can rally their teams, motivate those around them, and command the trust of clients, the sky is the limit for the entire legal practice.

LHD Lawyers are leading personal injury and compensation lawyers in Sydney. LHD has been serving individuals, companies, and communities for more than 25 years. The firm specialises in personal injury compensation, motor vehicle accident claims, TPD claims, contesting a will and more. LHD has offices based in Sydney, Brisbane, Taree, and Port Macquarie, in addition to its international affiliations in the United States.