Nobody tells you the hard parts about leading a law firm.
They tell you how to delegate, build systems, and develop people. But they don’t tell you what it actually costs.
Here are three truths most law firm leaders learn the hard way.
Truth #1: You’ll Feel Like an Impostor
Not because you’re faking it, but because the job keeps evolving faster than you can.
One day you’re handling cases. The next you’re managing people, making financial decisions, navigating technology changes that didn’t exist when you started practicing.
The goalposts keep moving. Just when you feel like you’ve figured something out, the requirements change.
That impostor feeling? It’s not a bug. It’s a feature. It means you’re growing into challenges bigger than what you already mastered.
Truth #2: You’ll Lose People You Fought to Develop
You invest in them. Train them. Mentor them. Watch them become excellent lawyers.
Then they leave.
Sometimes they get poached. Sometimes they outgrow the role. Sometimes they want something you can’t offer.
And it stings—not because you begrudge them the opportunity, but because you put real time and energy into their growth.
Here’s what nobody tells you: That hurt is part of good leadership. If you’re developing people well, some will outgrow what you can offer. That’s success with a side of loss.
Truth #3: You Have to Lead Yourself Too
This is the one nobody talks about.
You take care of everyone else—your team, clients, partners, family. But who takes care of you?
You tell yourself you’ll rest after this busy season, after this big case, after you hit that revenue goal. But there’s always another busy season.
Slowly, without realizing it, you’re running on empty.
If you don’t lead yourself well, you can’t lead anyone else well. You become short with people. You make worse decisions. You lose perspective.
Leading yourself isn’t selfish. It’s strategic.
You’re worthy of the same care you give your team.
What This Means
These truths don’t make you weak. They make you real.
Every leader who’s been doing this long enough has felt all three. The difference isn’t whether you experience them—it’s what you do with them.
For the complete list of eleven leadership truths they don’t put in the handbook, read our detailed analysis on sustainable law firm leadership.
