Creation of Positive Culture is Key to Modern Leadership

I've been talking a lot about leadership style and corporate culture! Why? Law firms have a long history of tolerating bad leaders--so long as those bad leaders brought in sufficient origination. But tolerating bad leadership is bad for the organization, its clients, and its individual lawyers trying to advance in their legal careers. In SHRM's HR Magazine, Aileen Wilkins (H&R Block's chief people officer) outlined the importance of corporate leadership establishing a positive culture, as well as how toxic environments can collapse entire companies. In the editorial "Great Workplace Cultures Drive Great Results: Backbiting and infighting can undermine even the best business plans," she writes:

Whether the company is a law firm or other business, responsibility for creating positive corporate culture starts at the top. And, whether law firm management or the corporate legal department, senior leadership must be adaptable so that they can work well within their own organizations as well as work well with their clients or customers.

Are you a lawyer is in a leadership position? Or who wants to be considered for a leadership position? If so, it's time to reflect on your own leadership style. Are you helping--or hurting--your law firm, your in-house department, your clients, your direct reports, and yourself?