Narcissists with Big Egos Lead Many Law Firms, Consultant Says

Ellen Barshevsky
Nov 11, 2008 5:20 PM CST

I agree with #1 and like, tell me somehting I DONT KNOW! 

Even though the manageing partner of my firm is nice, there are other peeple at the firm who are challenged, let me say.

I think they have EGOs a mile long, and they MUST be playcated by me and the other working associates. 

My boyfriend says it is like this everywhere, but he is an ACCOUNTANT, so what does he know about legal things. 

Mabye he will figure out that we lawyers are a SPECIAL breed, and we need to satisfy our EGO’s..

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Tom Brokaw
Nov 12, 2008 11:43 AM CST

In a related story, a consultant reported that many law firms employ lawyers who graduated from law school.
In other news, the sun rose in the East today and is expected to set in the West sometime tonight..  Also, I love Ellen Barshevsky.

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Earl
Nov 12, 2008 1:54 PM CST

This comes as a complete shock.  What’s up with the all caps?

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Brian
Nov 12, 2008 4:09 PM CST

I left the big firms over 15 years ago for this very reason.  The partners were all self-serving, short-sighted prima donnas.  They didn’t give a rip about associates, which explains the 50% plus turnover rates in big firms.

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Nigel DeLouing
Nov 13, 2008 7:25 AM CST

I know a narcissist who runs a small law firm.  I thnk it may be a Napoleonic complex that causes such behaviour.  I love your Ellen Barshevsky.  We don’t have anyone like her on this side of the pond!

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size s/m
Nov 13, 2008 9:53 PM CST

Gosh, narcissists who like to exert control and reject collaborative decision-making are (poorly) leading many small to mid size law firms through major changes, too…

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Mike
Nov 14, 2008 5:46 AM CST

Narcissism as a concept is in vogue these days, and it’s vastly overused—so I’ve learned from my wife, who’s a psychiatrist. It’s presumptuous for them to make this diagnosis from afar. It’s also probably wrong in most cases. While the leaders of many firms may have ego issues, they most likely don’t have narcissistic personality disorder, which is what this article implies. In any case, the irony is that Altman Weil’s report about other people’s narcissism seems calculated to bring attention to Altman Weil.

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Jane Doe
Nov 14, 2008 5:58 AM CST

I am starting to read the ABA Journal just for Ellen Barshevsky’s comments.

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Al Tidom
Nov 14, 2008 7:11 AM CST

Comment removed by moderator.

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John Hazard
Nov 14, 2008 7:34 AM CST

The ABA and others are just now discovering the existence of these narcissistic lawyers?  Where have you been for the last 25 years?  50 years?

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Bastian
Nov 14, 2008 7:44 AM CST

Is it just me, or does this headline seem more appropriate in the Onion?

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Ronnie
Nov 14, 2008 8:04 AM CST

I agree with Mike, #14.  Narcissism as a character trait is one thing; narcissistic personality disorder is something else entirely.  I had a client whose husband had been diagnosed with it; it’s actually sometimes frightening—especially in regards to putting your needs ahead of your childrens’.  He didn’t feed the kids for 2 days…... These lawyers that are being spoken of certainly have egos, but although they need balance from other partners, I do think that to be in charge of firms the size of many that they’re dealing with, a certain level of ego is needed.  Personal op, feel free to disagree.

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erik
Nov 14, 2008 8:06 AM CST

And I would guess that just as many firms are run by those with cooperative, team-building personalities.  I would also guess that managing partner personality types may also correlate to the types of law the firm practices - whether as a causal or derivative factor.  Whatever works, works.

The only real surprise woudl be if the article reported that a majority of law firms are managed by shy. reclusive personality types.

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Mrs. Butterworth
Nov 14, 2008 8:47 AM CST

My goodness gracious, I certainly hope big law firm leaders have big egos, with a little syrup and butter too.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and even narcisissts need to eat!

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Kristin
Nov 14, 2008 8:55 AM CST

This is news, why?

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Craig
Nov 14, 2008 9:01 AM CST

As my very teenaged daughter would say, “Du-uh”.  The Journal ought to focus on Legal News and information providing insight instead of this nonsensical drivel.  Altman Weil ought to focus on its core business and perhaps lay off some uninventive consultant staff who keep coming up with gems like this if it wants to stay competitive in the current market.  What a waste.

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Steve
Nov 14, 2008 9:36 AM CST

I agree with the comments that this news isn’t really all that shocking.  However, if you take a look at the actual document from Altman Weil, you’ll find that it says a number of really important things about leadership and the caliber of leadership at many law firms.  The basic gist is one that many newer and younger lawyers can agree with: law firms need to employ some different modes of leadership if they are going to remain successful.  Attrition, communication problems, general frustration—it starts from the disconnect between the top and bottom of the law firm pyramid.

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rs
Nov 14, 2008 9:46 AM CST

For the most part, consultants do “studies” to benefit themselves - meaning they can be brought in and paid to fix the alleged problem they found.  Our firm had a consultant for a while and he just threw around meaningless terms like “think outside the box” etc etc all the time and really didn’t do a gd thing.

On another note, I’m so tired of hearing about Ellen’s poor boyfriend, what a p#ssy.

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JerseyGirl Esq.
Nov 14, 2008 10:11 AM CST

Now tell me something I don’t know.

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Andy the Lawyer
Nov 14, 2008 10:45 AM CST

What’s Mr. Richardson’s next revelation going to be?  Clouds are fluffy?

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Arnold Winter
Nov 14, 2008 11:04 AM CST

A lot has been said here about Doug Richardson’s article stating the obvious, being self-serving, etc., but I happen to know Doug, having worked with him one-on-one in his role as career counselor in my transition out of the large law firm setting to starting my own business as an independent legal translator. I will always be grateful to him for helping me realize and accept what should have been obvious to me all along, which is that law firms and I were simply not made for each other and that I would only be happy in a setting that speaks to my own strengths. Doug was the teacher who arrived when the student was ready!

BTW, Doug mentions Daniel Goleman at the beginning of the article. Goleman’s books on emotional intelligence are a great read for anyone in the business of providing professional services to clients or to whom getting along with and motivating others is important.

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Drew Trott
Nov 14, 2008 11:16 AM CST

I think the point of the article is the last paragraph, which might wake up the occasional managing partner, or managing committee, that they need to find a way to give the Big Swingin’ D an occasional reality check, or his (her?) management style will have adverse consequences.

As for the distinction between narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder, I don’t see any reference to the latter in the piece, and I therefore don’t see how it can be criticized on that ground. For what it’s worth, I *have* encountered genuine NPD in a workplace setting, and it ain’t pretty, but for somebody like that to last very long they have to be extremely secure (institutionally speaking) in their dominant position.

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The Big Boss
Nov 14, 2008 12:04 PM CST

ALL OF YOU GUYS SHUT UP AND GET BACK TO WORK…NOW!

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John
Nov 14, 2008 12:12 PM CST

UNFORTUNATELY, Ellen BARSHEVSKY can’t SPELL.

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my56thchoice
Nov 14, 2008 12:50 PM CST

Despite the obvious truth of the article’s headline it has some great insignts.  The points made therein apply not only to law firm partners but to leaders generally.  Most law firm or political leaders tend to force their subjects to conform to their vision, be despotic and ingnore the needs of people outside their social class (although some are quite good at pretending otherwise).  The good ones also know their limits and spend their time on only the most important and realistic priorities.

Poster # 42 makes some really great points about emotional intelligence. 

Most revealing of all, however, are all the posts that mock this article for “stating the obviuos”.  One of the first things I learned as a lawyer is that few people, including lawyers or business clients, are willing to read beyond the first two sentences of an article, e-mail or letter.  If they do read further, they want to find buzz words and avoid digging for cogent points that are not stated immediately at the beginning. 

Unless millions of dollars are involved in a case, the work tends to be more about its speed and volume than its quality.  In this instant gratification culture of ours, few people seem to care about looking for important answers anywhere underneath the surface.  No wonder law firms and nations are so poor at solving problems that are persistent and complex.

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