Typically, a person who wants to lead a professional services firm tends to be more supportive of continuity and incrementalism. The best managers are teachers and people with a servant mentality, says Nevins. Leaders cannot simply show up and declare that they are in charge. Instead, leaders need to develop relationships, motivate people, and build their confidence. They have to be committed to serving clients as well as committed to building the firm.
People talk about client service, but they don t say enough about commitment to the organization.
If all you want to do is serve clients, go and be a solo consultant. The Search Goes On Driskill heartily believes in servant leadership, which includes principles such as helping every employee be the best person they can be. CDG s CEO started thinking about the leadership change about five years ago, after reading Ichak Adizes s book, Corporate Lifecycles. Adizes s point that one of the greatest risks to companies is the entrepreneur herself really hit home. If the entrepreneur doesn t step aside at the right time, the company can get stuck or have a premature death, he writes.