How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life: The Smart Way to Get to and Stay at the Top

Halftitle page
Title page
Copyright page
Table of Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Overview and introduction
	Who is the book for?
	What’s new in this third edition
	Why is work–life balance becoming so important for professional services firms?
	How to use this book
	And finally…
PART ONE: Is partnership right for you?
01 What does being a partner in the 21st century actually mean?
	What makes a partnership environment different from a limited company?
	The changing world of professional services firms
	What does it take to be a partner in a firm today?
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
02 What do you want from  your career and life?
	Taking responsibility for your career
	Why is a growth mindset important?
	Fixed versus growth mindset
	What does your mindset mean for your career?
	Who are you, and why does this matter?
	The importance of your firm’s values to you and your career
	Identifying your vision – or what you want to achieve
	Balancing your career and life roles
	The Wheel of Life
	Identifying your purpose – or your reason for being
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
03 Is partnership for you?
	Busting a career progression myth
	Becoming a career manager
	Moving out of professional services into industry: Taking an in-house role
	Career change
	Is partnership for you?
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
04 The four different routes to partnership
	Differences between small firms and large firms
	The four different routes to partnership
	The three different types of partner
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
PART TWO: Building a strong foundation for your partnership career
05 How to keep your mind and body working at peak performance
	The importance of a growth mindset to career success
	How to create a healthy mindset
	Dealing with higher levels of stress
	Surround yourself with people who make you feel good
	Play to your strengths
	Look to the positives
	When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
06 Creating and writing your own Career Action Plan
	Why traditional leadership theory may not work for you
	The power of having personal systems
	What personal systems should you create?
	Creating your Career Action Plan
	The importance of obtaining feedback from others
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
07 How to become partnership potential
	What is partnership potential?
	The importance of your market value
	How to be perceived as having partnership potential
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
08 How your role will change as you move upwards
	Pre-qualification
	Qualified
	Manager or associate
	Director or senior associate
	Partner
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
09 How to develop yourself on the way to  partnership
	How we learn and develop new skills and behaviours
	The importance of playing to your strengths
	How to identify gaps in your skill base
	How to keep your knowledge up to date
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
10 Building your support team
	Why do you need a support team?
	Who should be in your support team?
	The difference between sponsorship and mentoring
	The crucial roles of mentors and sponsors
	Mentoring, sponsorship and women and black and minority ethnic professionals
	What to look for in a mentor
	What should you expect from a mentoring relationship?
	How to get the most from your mentor
	Summary
	Action points
	Notes
	Further resources
11 Keeping your eyes on the prize
	How to stay focused when you are too busy to think
	How to keep yourself constructively busy and motivated when work is light
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
PART THREE: The essential skills
12 How to be seen as ‘one of the club’
	The firm’s culture – warts and all
	How to navigate and survive the firm’s politics
	Join ‘the club’
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
13 How to look, sound and  act the part
	Why looking, sounding and acting the part matters
	What is executive presence?
	Appearance
	Communication
	Gravitas
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
14 How to build your network for life
	What is networking?
	Common concerns and myths around networking
	How to design and build your network
	How to network effectively
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
15 How your firm makes money
	Building your understanding of your firm’s financial performance
	How does the firm make money and profit?
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
PART FOUR: Leading, managing yourself and others
16 How to find  the time to fit it all in
	The challenge of having to do it all
	Adopt the right mindset to be productive
	Why you need to be assertive
	How to make sure you make time for the ‘right’ stuff
	Conquering distractions
	Stopping meetings wasting your time
	Delegation
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
17 Managing and leading your way to success
	What are ‘management’ and ‘leadership’?
	How to build and develop a team
	What motivates people?
	How to develop your people
	How to run a performance review and set goals
	How to coach
	Quality controls
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
PART FIVE: How to develop and win work
18 How to become the ‘go to’ expert for your firm and profession
	What do we mean by profile?
	How to build your personal profile and become the ‘go to’ expert in your field
	Relationship management
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
19 Building your own client portfolio
	The business development process
	How to create your personal marketing plan to build your client portfolio
	The sales process
	The importance of keeping in touch
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
PART SIX: On partner track – the final steps
20 Overcoming the final hurdles to making partner
	Your business and personal case for partnership
	Creating your business case
	Creating your personal case
	The partner admission process
	Your moment of truth – is partnership right for you at this firm?
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
PART SEVEN: How to succeed as a partner and owner of the business
21 How to make a successful transition to partner
	Celebrate and tell people about your promotion
	What has changed now you are a partner?
	Reset your Career Action Plan
	Sort out your personal financial affairs
	Adopt the mindset of an owner
	Get to know your partners
	Grow your practice: Business development
	Get to know and develop your team
	Learn to delegate more
	Invest and develop your skills
	Understand how you will be measured as a partner
	Deliver on your financial targets
	Creating your legacy
	Summary
	Action points
22 How to build strong leadership teams
	The inherent challenge in taking on a leadership role in your partnership
	Agreeing and communicating your vision
	How to obtain partner buy-in to the firm’s goals and objectives
	Becoming an effective leadership team
	How to maintain productive management meetings
	Gaining an in-depth understanding of your firm’s business
	Communicate, communicate, communicate!
	It’s time to invest in your personal development
	Succession planning
	Some final leadership tips for leaders in firms
	Summary
	Action points
	Further resources
Index