Leadership Takes on Many Forms, Ideals
By Kim M. Keenan

“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.”
—Harold S. Geneen

Early in this bar year we created a Leadership Task Force with the goal of making recommendations to the D.C. Bar Board of Governors to improve the quality and quantity of leadership activities by the D.C. Bar. In sum, our vision is to create a culture of leadership in all aspects of Bar service consistent with our strategic plan. The Leadership Task Force is cochaired by Alfreda Robinson, an associate dean at The George Washington University Law School, and David J. Cynamon, a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. Together, and joined by a broad team of Bar leaders, they have prepared recommendations to infuse the culture of leadership among Bar leaders. These recommendations include creating a standing Bar Leadership Committee to identify and recruit potential leaders for the range of positions within the Bar. Another recommendation is to offer leadership skills training for leaders throughout the Bar and for voluntary bar association leaders. As always, the goal is to create an active, thriving membership that values excellence in the profession.

The managing partner of my first law firm was fond of telling us that it was our job to “inject ourselves” into the community and bar activities. As a new lawyer at the time, it seemed like such a lofty goal, but later it became obvious that it really just meant getting off the sidelines and putting our fingerprints on something positive. When I attended my first National Bar Convention, I was struck by how leadership took on so many forms. You had lawyers who were great orators and could sway, to my surprise, a group of lawyers to pass an innovative policy or support a national community service project. At the same time, there were lawyers who would avoid the microphone but who could organize a complex national project with the precision of a NASA launch. In their own way, each of these lawyers was injecting themselves into the improvement of the profession.

Research presented by the Bar’s expert consultant, Paul Meyer, indicates that the key method for encouraging participation in bar associations is the “personal ask.” Many of you will recognize the “ask.” It goes something like this: “We really need your expertise on the fill-in-the-blank committee.” One committee necessarily leads to another committee, and suddenly you are chair of that committee. Serving as chair of a committee is like a stepping stone to the Bar presidency. It can be the first of many stones, or the last time you travel on that path. This is where leadership training really comes in handy. Successful leaders are goal-oriented and solve problems while setting an example for others to follow. After all, if the task was simple, you would not need a committee.

My favorite “ask” story comes from our very own past president George W. Jones Jr. Like many members, I casually offered to serve on a committee during his term as Bar president in 2002–2003. The offer was the equivalent of “Let’s do lunch sometime.” You know the kind of offer that does not elicit actual acceptance. As President Jones’ tenure cruised to its midway point, I felt confident that my offer would simply expire. Eventually, however, he indicated that there was a project that needed a chair—the Landlord–Tenant Implementation Committee. If you are thinking that this is not the sexiest title for a committee, it is likely that I thought the same thing at the time. The several-inches thick report that recommended the committee was no quick read either. It turns out this committee was charged with implementing significant changes in the landlord–tenant adjudication process. After lots of meetings in which we vetted the pros and cons of the changes, we began to work on the recommendations that were essentially low-hanging fruit. This collaboration became the foundation for huge changes such as the creation of the Landlord Tenant Resource Center, which serves thousands of D.C. residents.

The more the committee focused on the things we could do, the more things we actually did accomplish. The experience gave me the opportunity to appreciate the hard work that lawyer volunteers on different sides of an issue can bring to bear to creatively solve difficult problems. In the end, the court, the lawyers, and, best of all, the citizens reaped the benefits of this give-and-take process. I still tease George about this assignment, but mostly so I can try to divine the advanced method of putting together a truly dedicated committee. No one ever missed a meeting. This is true passion in action. I think past president Jones should be “recruited” to teach such a course during our leadership development training.

In May the Bar will begin its annual elections, providing yet another opportunity for you to select the members who will lead this great organization. Ballots are due by June 4, and I urge each of you to review the candidates carefully and then vote. It may not be possible to know each candidate personally, but I can assure you that each one has made a thoughtful decision to serve. They deserve to have your considerate evaluation of their candidacy. After all, if lawyers do not practice voting for their own leaders, how will we set the tone for the attitude and actions of everyone else?

Kim M. Keenan can be reached at kkeenan@dcbar.org.