Baton in hand exaggerates the way chief operating executives actually manage their firms. But many Atlanta law firm leaders, without prompting on the analogy, described their roles as conductors of complex symphonies of partners, associates and support staff.
And these orchestras often must perform simultaneously in different offices and on different continents.
James Hale, chief operating officer for Arnall Golden Gregory, describes the dynamic this way: “A lot of times, I’m just holding the baton. Somebody else is playing the instruments.”
S. Dan Anderson, chief operating officer for McKenna Long & Aldridge, says he first thought about the music analogy more than a dozen years ago.
“I described my job then as an orchestra leader. I don’t play an instrument. I help direct the orchestra well,” he says.
And this particular group of law firm executives shares more than the musical outlook. None went to law school. Rather, they come from financial backgrounds.
