Leading a professional service firm is difficult enough in good times,
and it is all the more risky in difficult ones. In Leading Firms: How
Great Professional Service Firms Succeed & How Your Firm Can Too David
Kuhlman, a highly respected management consultant to many of the world's
top firms, gives an informed view on how those in professional services
can achieve the same success as best-in-class firms. Most businesses
claim that people are their most important asset, but Kuhlman explains
that professional service firms are unique because their entire value
chain consists of people who must differentiate themselves from
competitors who often offer the same product in similar ways with
near-identical messaging. From the author's examination of why it's more
difficult to implement change than in a traditional business, to his
analysis of the challenges of rising above the competition, he offers a
comprehensive guide to the special dynamics of the professional services
firm. Kuhlman covers in striking detail the aspects of the daily dealing
with clients and markets as well as the planning and implementation of
long-term strategy that leading a firm requires. This book is divided
into three parts. The first lays out foundations of success for any
firm; this includes developing an effective strategy and also delivering
consistent revenue, maintaining quality and maintaining profitability.
The second section puts a strong focus on the capabilities that great
firms possess as opposed to firms that are just merely good. This
includes managing talent, delivering growth, and establishing brand
synergy. The last part is about the practices and values necessary to
develop a high-performing culture of professionals, one that continually
nourishes the growth of superior talent while successfully managing
client relationships and expectations. Leading Firms is perfect for
anyone who wants to explore their firm's potential and to better
understand how the most successful firms in their industry arrived at
their positions of leadership.