Why Law Firms Should Embrace “Strategic Slowness” for Smarter Growth
In an industry where rapid decision-making is often the norm, two Stanford professors, Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao, are encouraging leaders—law firm heads included—to slow down. In contrast to Silicon Valley’s “move fast” mentality, they suggest that adopting a mindset of strategic slowness can help firms make smarter, more sustainable choices.
In their Wall Street Journal article and book The Friction Project, they identify eight moments when good leaders should intentionally pump the brakes: when making irreversible decisions, solving complex problems, fostering creativity, ensuring ethical conduct, reducing bias, preventing workplace friction, building client relationships, and promoting personal well-being.
What This Means for Law Firm Leaders
1. Take a Deliberate Approach to AI Integration
As AI reshapes the legal landscape, leaders will face crucial, high-impact choices—what tools to adopt, how to evolve pricing, and how to deliver ongoing value to clients. These are not decisions to rush. Instead, thoughtful exploration and planning are essential.
2. Invest in Developing Junior Talent
Many law firms still expect younger attorneys to learn by osmosis, with little structured support. A strategic slowdown means prioritizing mentorship, training, and active development—even if it requires changes to compensation structures. Long-term, it builds stronger teams and leadership pipelines.
3. Promote Well-Being and Smarter Workflows
Firms traditionally reward long hours and high billing, often at the cost of burnout and talent loss. Shifting toward more balanced workloads, fairer distribution of assignments, and flexible staffing models will improve retention, morale, and firm reputation—especially as today’s lawyers increasingly value work-life balance. In fact, studies show overcommitted lawyers face twice the risk of suicidal thoughts.
Embracing nontraditional career paths, like part-time or hybrid roles, also helps firms retain experienced attorneys—particularly women—who may temporarily step back due to caregiving responsibilities.
The Bottom Line
Slowing down doesn’t mean falling behind. For law firms, adopting a strategic slowness mindset can lead to better decisions, healthier cultures, stronger teams, and improved client outcomes. In a profession where speed often dominates, going steady may be the smartest move forward.
