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Legal Leaders Need To Create A High-Trust Culture

By Lawrence Center
February 01, 2025

In any legal office, leaders set the tone, whether they lead a large or small office. Setting the tone means serving as a role model of trustworthiness and trust. Nothing serves to harm an organization, whether a law firm, a corporate legal department, a not-for-profit, or a federal, regional or state government agency, more than a failure of trust, which can raise its ugly head in myriad ways on a daily basis.

Leaders must realize that trust is earned, and that it flows in two directions. Leaders must earn the trust of their teammates, and the individual team members must earn the leader’s trust. An important title — Managing Partner, General Counsel, Director or Dean does not automatically mean people reporting to the leader or to those below him or her in the office hierarchy will trust them. Gaining trust is a process that takes time and effort, especially on the leader’s part. Leaders who assume that everyone on the team trusts them are traversing a dangerous path.

Once a high-trust culture is established, it becomes acceptable for team members to make mistakes. Fear is reduced. Team members know they will not be punished for those mistakes because they are trusted.

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