Committed to mastering the fundamentals and sustaining long-term success, their leaders view their firm as a business – and an extension of their identities.
Common traits
of ELF leaders
They care
Each leader carries a genuine sense of care – whether directed towards their team, clients or a cause. This ‘care factor’ isn’t always altruistic – but it is always deeply rooted in values or beliefs that drive these leaders to act purposefully and intentionally.
They value value.
They value value for money – after all, they’re spending their hard-earned cash.
They are relentless.
They adopt a ‘things can always be improved’ mentality and never ‘settle’ when it matters.
They take action.
They are happy to take calculated risks, pursue opportunities, and are, above all, action-oriented.
They are not Mega Law Firms (MLF's)
and have no desire to be one
Unlike their peers in MLFs, ELF leaders operate on a lean model that minimises red tape. They don’t aspire to be mini versions of mega-law firms.
Their firms stand out where the term ‘soul-destroying’ has no place, and the old saying ‘it’s a great place to be a partner’ doesn’t come with the hidden caveat that it’s a soul-destroying environment for everyone else.
They love the law but are not
profession-driven lawyers
Finally, ELF leaders couldn’t be more different from lawyers who view their firm and role as belonging first and foremost to a ‘profession’.
Profession-driven lawyers love the law, which, while great, usually comes at the expense of client outcomes and their firm. Most of these leaders expect work to come to them based on their expertise and status.
ELF leaders take proactive steps to earn new business. They understand that more than legal expertise is needed to attract high-quality clients and talent. This mindset drives them to pursue opportunities, build relationships and demonstrate the unique value they offer rather than simply waiting for business to knock on their door.