Leadership Academy for Women | Profiles
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Linda Wadler, Finnegan
“The program gave me the motivation to do the practical things necessary to achieve my career goals. I needed to translate my success at substantive patent litigation into the type of professional recognition within the firm that results in leadership positions.”
Linda Wadler was a mid-level partner handling multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical patent litigation at the 400 lawyer intellectual property firm Finnegan when she attended the Academy two years ago. She previously had served as recruiting partner at Finnegan, and was eager to concentrate on her own career progression. “I saw the program as a good way for me to carve out time to focus on my personal career goals, instead of client problems or firm management issues.”
From the first day, Wadler said, the group began learning from each other. “Here I was in an environment of peers, women from all different sizes of firms, types of practices, and areas of the country. It was enlightening and useful to hear how other firms handled similar issues in different ways. A particular solution may not fit your firm’s culture, or your own practice, but it’s valuable to gain perspective on alternative approaches to common issues facing all law firms.”
Linda came away with important personal insights as well. “I had already recognized that one significant hurdle for women rising to leadership positions is that women are not as good as men at self-promotion, and are not as comfortable in the spotlight, so it’s harder for them to get recognition. The program caused me to examine the impact of this reality on my own career and leadership goals. ”
More importantly, the program encouraged the women, including Wadler, to become more comfortable tooting their own horn “by effectively communicating professional successes both within and outside of the firm. The speakers had some good tips for how to make people aware of your strengths in ways perceived as socially appropriate for women.”
The sessions zeroed in on leadership: what it means, what roles within firms are respected, and what paths lead to firm management. “We talked about whether leadership was truly for everyone. We learned to focus on our strengths, rather than trying to improve on our weaknesses, to increase both personal satisfaction and effectiveness. Some people enjoy doing marketing, while others prefer firm management.”
The exercises helped Wadler see how others perceive her strengths. “I had a fair idea of my strengths before the program. But in preparation for the first meeting, we did this exercise in which we had to ask people with whom we had worked — staff, those senior to you, those junior to you, clients — to detail their impressions of our individual strengths. I remember being very uncomfortable asking for that information. But the feedback I received was both surprising and informative. I heard things that made me more comfortable reaching for leadership challenges and being in the spotlight.
The strengths she identified and promotional skills she learned quickly translated into increased leadership roles at her firm. When Linda returned from the program, she not only expressed appreciation for Finnegan’s investment in her personal development , but made it known she wanted to be considered for leadership positions. Since the Academy, Linda has served as litigation section leader and has joined the firm’s management committee. “By expressing interest in the Academy, my desire to get involved in firm leadership was made clear,” she said.
For Linda, the Academy provided a unique learning environment. “If we had hired the exact same people to do this program internally, and not had the exposure to how other firms are handling a variety of issues in different ways, it would not have been the same experience. I thought that was really worthwhile.”
View the program design, curriculum and faculty list.
To register by mail, print out the registration form and mail if with a check to the address at the bottom of the form.
For additional information about the Leadership Academy call 415-565-4640 or send us an email.
