A trustworthy team is essential for any business. Your office manager is probably putting out fires in your firm, but they could also become a proactive team leader. This type of leader focuses on problem-solving and leading people rather than simply managing tasks. It can be a more rewarding approach for both the team leader and the team.

• A great team leader in a law firm offers solutions to problems. They lead the people in an office to get things done. An office manager’s role is to react and deal with the issue at hand rather than find a long-term resolution.
• Having a growth mindset, as opposed to a fixed mindset, leaves you open to growth and new opportunities. A fixed mindset means you generally aren’t open to development or learning and don’t want to go outside the box. With a growth mindset, you’ll be open to new challenges and experiences, like an opportunity to become a team leader.
• The byproduct of agreed-upon values in a firm is its culture. The culture reflects your practice’s core values and mission statement, telling everyone in the firm where you’re headed. When you’re interviewing and hiring, a good team leader can identify someone who doesn’t withhold those values during the hiring phase or soon after they’re hired.
• The attorney owner and the team leader should present a united front to the team. Lawyers sometimes have difficulty letting go of their control over hiring and firing. But a great team leader will have the pulse of the firm’s culture and understand who will be a good fit. If the attorney owner and team leader are united in these goals, the team leader can find individuals who match the firm’s values.
• The Team Leader Program developed by Patti Paz and her colleague gives team leaders the tools they need to excel. The Team Leader Program helps employees transition into the team lead role and teaches them about time management, cash flow, and team management.

Join Steve as he interviews Patti Paz on Great Practice, Great Life®. Patti’s career journey from receptionist to office manager to team lead makes her an expert on becoming a great team leader in a law firm. She has created the Team Leader Certification Program for Atticus and is an adjunct practice advisor. Together, Steve and Patti will teach a workshop soon.

Patti will share her secrets on creating a great team leader and why having someone like her on your team is crucial. Tune in to learn how having a team lead can upgrade your life when running your practice.

If you want to learn more about hiring a team leader in your law firm, check out https://atticusadvantage.com/episode019

• Author Details

Steve Riley

Steve Riley

Certified Practice Advisor & Attorney

Steve Riley has coached attorneys for more than 20 years. His one-on-one coaching focuses on a limited number of top producing attorneys committed to taking their practices to new levels of excellence, profit, and personal success. He also presents at group coaching workshops around the country for individual law firms, state bar associations, and other legal organizations.

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