BELOW ARE THE TOP FIVE POSITIVES THAT I OBSERVED DURING THE CONCLAVE

• GROOMING

  The leaders are qualified and extremely well-groomed, in dark suits, ready to take on any international opponent in the next very minute, if need be.

• DEEP DOMAIN INSIGHT

  Youcan’t possibly beat them down in the knowledge segment; they know their topic very well.

• CONTROLLED AGGRESSION

  They are polite, but firm in putting across their points.

• RELATING TO REAL LIFE CASE STUDIES

  The speaker presentations were crisp, & every speaker and their audience who shot questions, knew their points very well, and was almost always backed up by a very relevant case study.

• NETWORKING

  They never had their tea/lunch alone; either they were seen networking with their peer circuit for best practice sharing, or talking to the industry experts to clarify specific points of interest. It will be pertinent to list down a few areas to improve upon, based on my twenty years of observing leadership behaviours.

• LISTENING SKILLS

  Good leaders listen, as if they are the only living human being in the entire universe; they do not play with their smartphones or take calls. If attentive listening is practiced, it will lead to heightened client consulting experience, adding to healthier revenues. Clients do enjoy undivided attention from his/herlegal consultant.

• QUIT MULTITASKING ON A RARE/PRESET DATE

  Sharing and networking sessions like these come rarely during the year, that too within a peer group sharing same interests, triumphs and regrets. I think it will be smart to take calls, or reply to emails during the well-planned breaks, to maximize the sharing and learning.

• OBSERVATION

  All of us are pre-occupied with our thoughts, and our minds do travel during our routine or a special situation. It will be prudent to observe the others to pick up a quick skill, demeanour, or a positive behaviour, or a few key words.

• PRESENTATION SKILLS

  This is developed vastly through practising, also it is a good idea to listen and watch the good speakers, especially during Q&A sessions, much like an opening and closing speech in a courtroom. This will help leaders win over a slightly larger mass, instead of a one-on-one discussion most of the time.

• LEADERSHIP STYLES

  Most leaders nurture a dream, very close to their hearts, to own that dream legal firm one day. It will be a smart step to know about their own leadership styles, whether they are authoritative, delegating or participating in a leadership situation. Are they sheer analytic buffsor number drivers, do they express themselves well to their teams when neededor are they amiable only when it requires executing a quick task are other key areas to gain knowledge about.

  The next season of MAELS in 2014 will be keenly awaited. By then, most of these executives will wear a new designation at work and probably will have brushed up the leader in them to scale newer heights. Definitely they have a distinctive edge compared to their other counterparts in other departments within the same organizations. I would love to tag the legal practitioners as eagles, because they do not fly high in flocks, having a clear identity, but if necessary, they tag-team very well with their departmental colleagues. A natural consultant to go to, during the troubled times, to avoid future damages. Long live the Eagle in them.