Harvard Law School professors Scott A. Westfahl and David B. Wilkins observe that, “[T]he lawyers of the future will need to be technically capable; professionally nimble; and able to use broad, interdisciplinary networks to solve problems,” (Westfahl & Wilkins, 2017). They further emphasize the importance of leadership skills because such skills deepen their impact and enable them to be leaders and connectors of ideas, people, and possibilities.
Breakthrough’s Founder and Principal, Mark Roy, published a peer-reviewed, research-backed article in the Summer 2023 issue of The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, the official publication of the industrial-organizational psychology division of the American Psychological Association. In “Leadership Development for Professional Services Firms,” Mark details how firms can create a leadership development program tailored to a firm’s unique culture.
When considering the design of a leadership development program for a professional services firm, a key consideration is what type of culture does the firm aspire to create? The qualities that the firm chooses to develop in its leaders will fuel the organizational culture that the partners will co-create with all personnel, and that culture will be reinforced by the firm’s values as reflected in the leadership behaviors it models.
The article is accessible to members of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and Mark would be happy to discuss his approach or share a copy of the article upon request.