Retiring from a senior leadership role - the other side of succession

April 2, 2024|Kim's Blog, Lawyers, Management Skills, Relationship Management|

Former leaders have valuable lessons to share. Although by the time they have reflected, they have left the firm and it’s sometimes too late to pass on that those hard-won insights to the next generation of leaders. So this is the first in a series on lessons from former leaders. Much of my work as a management consultant is helping organisations change. And addressing the impact of organisational change on individuals. As I transition into an additional career as a psychotherapist, that focus on personal transitions has sharpened. In my consultancy role, I am often asked to help with succession plans. But wearing a therapist’s hat, I focus on the individual. Personal transitions: Retiring from a senior leadership role – the other side of succession.

Introducing Bruce Hayter – Former managing partner of Rix & Kay

The first former senior leader I interviewed is Bruce Hayter. A corporate and commercial lawyer with a focus on the sports sector, he spent over 20 years at Rix & Kay Solicitors in Sussex.

And 17 of those years as managing partner (which he suggests is too long). On his watch the firm grew in size from 60 staff and £3.3m revenue to a peak of 120 staff and circa £7.25m turnover. That’s a solid track record and a significant legacy.

I should add that Bruce is not a therapy client! But I worked with him and the firm on various marketing, business development and training projects over a 12-year period. We stayed in touch afterwards – I introduced him to other managing partners and Non-Executive Directors. He alerted me to consultancy and speaking projects. Bruce reached out to me when he saw my recent LinkedIn post about the trials of decluttering in advance of a property down-size and relocation.

Fresh from a five-week trip touring Australia and New Zealand with his wife, Bruce shared his story and insights.

The original “retirement” plan

At the age of 60 (seven years ago), Bruce decided to step down as managing partner of Rix & Kay.

His original idea was to exit fairly quickly. What divorce lawyers might call “a clean break”. Bruce had been instrumental in appointing his heir apparent and settling him into his role. But the new managing partner asked Bruce to stay on as chairman for four years. With a different role that focused on business development. Bruce had always been a major rainmaker for the firm, so he agreed.

After a few years, it became apparent that the firm was evolving in a different direction. Bruce confesses that he didn’t entirely agree with the strategy but kept his own counsel. This is natural reaction – when you’ve spent years pursuing a strategy, it causes cognitive dissonance to contemplate a different path. He reflected: “There’s little point in bringing in new people and then not allowing them to take the lead”.

Bruce also acknowledged that having stepped down, he no longer had the same deep insight into the day-to-day market changes nor the same influence he had previously enjoyed. So he was always supportive of the firm’s new direction.

The impact of Covid

And then Covid happened. Years of strong business development meant the firm was well-positioned to weather the storm. Bruce got on the phone and started seeing clients – even if for socially-distanced walks. He kept the work coming in. And the firm continued to prosper.

However, during this time Bruce’s sister (who was some years older than him) sadly passed away. At a similar age to that when his father had died.

“Facing your own mortality and confronting the fact that there may be a limited number of productive years ahead often drives a reappraisal of life”. Bruce reviewed his plans and decided to leave the equity on his 65^th birthday. Bruce was asked to work as a consultant for a year.

Working from home as a consultant

To minimise his impact on the management team, Bruce elected to work from home for his final year.

He worked five days a week looking after a dozen clients – transitioning from providing purely legal and transactional advice to more general business advice. And always supported by lawyers at the firm.

Bruce’s role in sustaining these clients and maintaining a flow of legal fees into the firm was not always recognised in the same way as when he was managing partner. This is part and parcel of the cycle of change. During the consultancy period Bruce realised how other partners in the firm – those outside of the Board – may have felt about recognition of their contribution.

This year consulting from home also gave Bruce time to assess his options and build a “business plan” for his future. Although he is keen to stress that it isn’t possible to look at a planning horizon of more than three to five years.

Leaving the firm (and a legacy)

At his 66th birthday – marked by a substantial trip to the Caribbean – Bruce finally left the firm.

He continues to work for three family-owned business clients and a professional services firm for several days a month. One of these is based in Birmingham and involves shareholder, succession and commercial property options. And he is mentoring a senior partner at a firm of accountants.

His passion for sport continues with presidency of Eastbourne Rugby Club where he is driving numerous change projects and reviewing property redevelopment options. From July 2024 he becomes President of Sussex RFU.

Rainmaking mindset – marketing and business development

Everyone acknowledges Bruce’s huge contribution as a major rainmaker for the firm. I always saw him as a “natural connector”. So I asked him about his approach to business development.

“I guess I just have an innate interest and curiosity in business. Maybe my eight years in industry before joining Rix & Kay contributed to that inquisitiveness. I find it really enjoyable to talk to lots of people about their businesses. And I listen carefully to what they have to say. Then I consider whether their insights might be applicable to our business. That’s a partnership of equals. It builds trust. Often we face the same fundamental challenges when it comes to managing people”.

Bruce introduced leadership and management training into Rix & Kay decades ago. It was innovative to engage such a large group of lawyers in such a comprehensive and ongoing development programme. I was just one of a host of consultants who he drew on for support in those programmes.

“I remember your comments that our business development strategy was too scattergun. I was responsible for promoting a diverse law firm offering many strands of legal advice. However, we did develop more focused approaches as a result. For example, we targeted a limited number of local businesses. It was a very defined strategy using the museum at Sussex Cricket Club to host several events – with external speakers. It was very successful”.

Bruce reflects that his approach to business development was to connect, listen, learn and implement.

Rix & Kay pioneers climate change and green issues

Bruce feels his interest in the business of sport was a major contributor to success. “Perhaps that instilled a view that you can learn something from most people. And that some relationships will endure for a very long time”.

A good illustration was the firm’s pioneering approach to climate change and responsible, green business.

“We learned in 2011 that one of our office’s landscape gardeners had a brother who needed a solicitor. So I followed it up and took a flight from Sussex to Devon to meet his brother – Pen Hadow – Arctic Explorer & Ocean Conservationist. This was the start of an innovative collaboration where Rix & Kay sponsored his early conservation expeditions to the Arctic”.

This collaboration continued for many years – and I remember being intrigued by some of the expedition equipment displayed in the firm’s offices as part of a series of client events.

Rix & Kay then teamed up with Sacha Dench (the human swan) to support her endeavours. In 2019 the firm hired the local cinema for a screening of a conservation film and hosted over 100 guests Rix & Kay holds screening of conservation documentary ‘Flight of the Swans’ for special guests | Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP (rixandkay.co.uk).

Furthermore, in 2022 the firm won an award for sustainability Rix & Kay wins prestigious LawNet Sustainability Excellence Award 2022 | Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP (rixandkay.co.uk)

Focus on home and family

As he stepped back from the firm, Bruce turned his attention to the family home in Eastbourne – and all the projects he had not tackled in 25 years (the reason my decluttering post had resonated with him). We traded horror stories of loft clearances, paper mountain shredding and the pain of parting with vinyls and CDs.

He’s also future-proofing the house and adopting greener practices. That refurbishment project continues with completion anticipated in February 2025.

Luckily, his two daughters – and grandchildren (including a set of twins who arrived at Christmas) – live nearby. So Bruce and his wife are able to spend more time with family. His wife has a few years before her retirement and has just renewed the lease on her business premises.

Bruce retains many of the friendships he built through work. He shared stories of attending gigs and regular “boys” weekends.

He fondly reflected on how much he values his “Tuesday-morning-beach-hut-time” where he can read the newspapers, meet with friends and talk to the many passers-by in his community. For those who can manage the steep climb up the hill, this is also a very different take on “remote working” as coffee meetings (sometimes with bacon sandwiches) are also common at this location.

He also pushes himself to try something new each week.

Personal transitions: Retiring from a senior leadership role - the other side of succession

Bruce Hayter (former Managing Partner of Rix & Kay) with his wife at Mount Cook, Fox Glacier in New Zealand

Lessons learned as Managing Partner

I asked Bruce to reflect on the key lessons he learned as managing partner:

Close client relationships are vitally important – Clients need to be nurtured with regular, face-to-face conversations. It’s business but it’s also personal. Trust builds up over many years. Clients will retain trusted legal advisers – even after they leave their firm.

Continuity is valued – This naturally follows the point above. Clients value continuity. All humans are wired to reduce uncertainty. Bruce still refers a lot of work to the firm.

Be brave – It can be lonely at the top. The buck stops with the leader. You have to follow your beliefs to pursue the opportunities and initiatives that feel right.

Consider advice and input from all sources – It’s important to consider advice and input regardless of the source. From colleagues, clients and referrers as well as from those advisers and consultants you bring into the business.

You have to learn to let go – A career is so much more than an income. You have a huge emotional investment in the firm and its people and clients. Leaders see the firm as part of their legacy. Bruce reflected “Accept that the firm feels like part of your legacy. It’s personal. When changes are proposed you have to remember that it is no longer your business. You have to let go”.

Reflections on navigating significant personal change

One of my favourite books is Your personal transition – Endings, neutral zone and new beginnings (kimtasso.com) by well-known psychologist William Bridges. It explains how challenging it is for people to navigate major changes in their lives. The author’s explanation of the “No man’s land” when you find yourself in between letting go of the past (it is a form of loss and people must be allowed to grieve) before stepping into a new future will resonate with many people.

As a psychotherapist, I’ve witnessed first hand how career changes can have a profound effect on people. Often, their personal identity, confidence and sense of worth and purpose are integral to their professional lives. So changing or ending careers has a fundamental impact on their whole sense of being and all relationships.

Bruce is fortunate to have a wife, children, grandchildren and long-standing work friends to sustain him – as well as a host of hobbies and interests. But many people sacrifice relationships and hobbies for their careers. So the loss of a career also means the loss of all connection – within yourself and socially. So transitions are therefore much more challenging and can lead to depression.