PDC Summer Conference Pre-Session for Chiefs and Directors Eligibility: In-firm Basic Members

Register to join your fellow law firm Chiefs and Directors for a half-day of learning and insight-sharing led by PDC Trusted Advisor Scott Westfahl, Professor of Practice and Faculty Director, Harvard Law School Executive Education.

This in-person workshop takes place the afternoon before the 2025 PDC Summer Conference kicks off in Chicago. It includes sessions on:

• Leading change in uncertain times by applying key principles of Adaptive Leadership
• Creating a more innovative culture to help drive change

2:00pm to 3:30pm     

Session One:  Leading Change in Uncertain Times: Applying Key Principles of Adaptive Leadership

 This workshop will outline key principles of the Adaptive Leadership model developed by faculty at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.  We will explore the difference between leadership and authority and discuss practical strategies for law firm talent leaders to lead from their positions. 

We will then explore the difference between technical challenges and adaptive challenges, and how understanding that difference will help ensure more sustainable change.

Participants will use their own case examples to map out how they can make progress on adaptive challenges through two small group exercises:  the first one will challenge participants to identify adaptive challenges their firm or PD team is facing.  They will then begin to diagnose the challenges by “getting on the balcony” and mapping out stakeholders and their interests and concerns.  Once we debrief the first exercise, participants will engage in the second exercise to begin to outline potential ways to help the firm to make progress on the challenges they identified.

3:30pm to 3:40pm     Break

3:40pm to 5:00pm     

Session Two: Creating a More Innovative Culture to help Drive Change

Building upon our adaptive leadership session, this session will explore six key factors that drive creativity and innovation in an organization, which is critical to the piloting, learning and experimenting required in adaptive leadership.  

We will explore those factors in detail, providing specific examples about how law firms can improve on each of the six factors, and also sharing data as to how General Counsel of leading companies are attempting to do so.  

Participants will engage in exercises to trade thoughts and ideas about how they can help create a more creative and innovative culture, at either their firm, department, or team level. We will conclude by debriefing in plenary and summarizing themes and ideas.