Developing Future Leaders: Foley’s 2024 Leadership Program Concludes – – Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration

Foley recently hosted the final installment of its 2024
Leadership Development Program in Chicago for a cohort of emerging
firm leaders from across the firm’s Corporate, Intellectual
Property, and Litigation Departments.

During each of the program’s four live modules, the 24
participating senior counsel focused on particular aspects or
competencies of leadership, drawing insight and inspiration from
the various experiences of firm leaders who presented during the
sessions. The group developed and practiced their leadership skills
in an experiential and active manner throughout the months-long
program during the modules, as well as in between each one through
individual and group coaching sessions provided by our in-house
executive coaching services. As one participant noted,
“multiple touch points over several months … enabled
[me] to implement different strategies over time and incorporate
[them] into [my practice].”

Following the first module, titled
“Leading Self,” held in May, subsequent modules
focused on the following themes: Leading People, Leading Process,
and Leading Change.

Through the “Leading People” module, participants
learned about the various domains and competencies of emotional
intelligence and identified which specific ones they individually
wanted to focus on enhancing during the program. Through the
“Leading Process” module, participants learned about the
critical and interdependent relationship between the skillsets of
managing and leading and how they would apply them to different
situations. They also engaged in role play scenarios that
highlighted a framework for accountability, including how to set
clear expectations, facilitate psychological safety, and approach
difficult conversations.

During the “Leading Change” module, external speaker
and leadership consultant Carrie Fletcher led a discussion on
intergenerational leadership within law firms and a design thinking
workshop where participants applied principles learned to specific
intergenerational challenges. The participants then presented to
firm leadership on their recommended actionable solutions to these
challenges. This year’s program participants not only honed
their leadership skills, but they also strengthened relationships
with their peers from different departments and offices and
deepened their connection to the firm. Recognizing that leadership
development is a continuous process of learning and growth, Foley
sets itself apart by offering this comprehensive in-house training.
Participant feedback noted that the program was “practical,
useful, and fun … and the camaraderie it promotes … is
priceless,” and that it was “very well-designed and hit
on a number of topics [that] have changed my perspective and
approach to dealing with the variety of issues legal professionals
face.”

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