For many young lawyers, the road to partnership is often a carefully charted journey, driven by ambition and clear goals. But for the newly appointed managing partner of Colin Biggers & Paisley, the path was far from planned.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Dr Andrew Murray, the newly appointed managing partner of Colin Biggers & Paisley, offered a candid look at his unconventional journey to the top and revealed his distinctive approach to leading one of Australia’s foremost legal firms.
Looking back, Murray admits his journey through the legal profession – and ultimately to managing partner – was anything but planned, with becoming a lawyer never part of the original plan.
“I should apologise from the outset because I’m not a very good role model for young lawyers and aspiring lawyers, because a lot of it was unintended,” he said.
“I never intended to be a lawyer, never intended to be a private sector lawyer, never intended to be a partner, and I certainly never intended to be a managing partner.”
Despite the unplanned trajectory of his career, Murray said he has thoroughly embraced the opportunities that have come his way, describing the role as both deeply rewarding and truly unique.
“To be honest, I’ve loved the opportunity. I mean, it’s a great investment that the practice makes in leadership, and I’m grateful to the partners and all our colleagues for it, because it really is a unique role in the law,” he said.
While many legal roles follow a clear path of preparation, Murray explained that the managing partner role introduces a whole new set of responsibilities – ones that no formal training can truly prepare you for.
“It’s not something that anyone can train for. It’s really about taking up a whole new set of disciplines and pivoting entirely away from everything that you’ve been taught,” he said.
Murray acknowledged that stepping into the managing partner role comes with the challenge of overseeing a far broader range of responsibilities compared to the more traditional duties of legal practice.
“I’ve loved that process, of course, because of the challenges and the comparative, relatively new landscapes that you face in those disciplines, finance, HR and marketing. It is something that makes you feel uncomfortable,” he said.
However, Murray noted that embracing discomfort – and even feeling slightly uneasy at times – has been a pivotal realisation, one that has significantly shaped his leadership growth and eased his transition into the managing partner role.
“The Australian MD of Pinterest was saying that unless you’re feeling uncomfortable in your role about 20 per cent of the time, give or take, you’re not growing,” he said.
“I thought that was really quite good advice. Any more than that, then you may have a problem, but much less than that, you’re really not stretching.”
While acknowledging the inherent challenges of stepping into a higher leadership role, Murray explained that drawing on his past successes has been invaluable in navigating the changes and demands of the position.
“Of course, there’s been moments of being deeply uncomfortable and having to navigate new scenarios and challenges,” he said.
“But that 12 months of transition is great because you carve out time with the existing managing partner who acts as a mentor and helps you navigate those changes and challenges.”
