Why “That’s Just How They Are” Is a Leadership Failure in Law Firms
Almost every law firm has one.
The brilliant attorney who misses deadlines.
The rainmaker who ignores process.
The staff member who’s “great with clients” but unreliable internally.
The partner who creates friction but “means well.”
And when those patterns are raised, the response is often:
“That’s just how they are.”
That phrase sounds harmless.
It’s not.
It’s one of the most expensive sentences in law firm leadership.
What That Phrase Really Means
When leaders say “that’s just how they are,” what they’re usually signaling is:
We don’t want to address this.
It feels uncomfortable to confront.
The person is valuable in other ways.
We’ve normalized the behavior.
We’ve decided to tolerate the inconsistency.
It feels like grace.
But in practice, it’s avoidance.
Tolerance Quietly Redefines the Standard
Every time behavior is excused:
expectations shift
accountability softens
performance becomes uneven
fairness erodes
Standards don’t collapse all at once.
They erode slowly — one tolerated exception at a time.
And once inconsistency becomes normal, culture starts bending around personalities instead of principles.
High Performers Notice First
The people most affected by tolerated inconsistency are not the underperformers.
They’re the high performers.
Because when standards aren’t applied evenly:
strong contributors carry extra weight
reliability becomes invisible
frustration builds quietly
morale declines
When systems don’t reinforce standards, trust erodes — especially among your strongest people.
“They’re Just Different” Isn’t a Strategy
Leaders often justify behavior because:
the person generates revenue
they’ve been there a long time
they’re technically strong
confronting them feels risky
But inconsistency at the top is especially costly.
When leaders tolerate certain behavior from certain people, they communicate:
Standards are negotiable.
That message spreads quickly.
This Is Why Accountability Feels So Hard
Accountability feels uncomfortable because:
it requires direct conversations
it challenges identity
it risks tension
it forces clarity
So firms delay it.
But delayed accountability compounds.
What feels easier in the short term becomes much harder later.
The Myth That Confrontation Damages Culture
Many leaders believe confronting behavior will:
damage morale
create resentment
push people away
reduce collaboration
In reality, the opposite is usually true.
Clear standards:
create fairness
reduce ambiguity
protect high performers
make feedback predictable
Culture doesn’t weaken when standards are reinforced.
It strengthens.
Revenue Does Not Immunize Behavior
This is especially true in law firms where:
rainmakers receive more flexibility
high-billing attorneys are protected
long-tenured staff are excused
Revenue does not offset:
missed deadlines
broken process
poor delegation
inconsistent communication
If anything, high performers should model the standard — not sit above it.
Leadership Is the Enforcement Mechanism
Standards don’t enforce themselves.
They require:
clear expectations
visible metrics
consistent feedback
follow-through
If leadership won’t address inconsistency, no system will compensate for that avoidance.
And over time, tolerance becomes culture.
The Question Leaders Should Ask
Instead of saying:
“That’s just how they are.”
Ask:
Is this behavior aligned with our standards?
Would we tolerate this from someone else?
What message does this send to the team?
Are we protecting short-term comfort over long-term health?
What would change if we addressed this directly?
Those answers determine whether leadership is strengthening the firm — or quietly weakening it.
Standards Protect People — They Don’t Punish Them
Clear standards:
make performance measurable
remove subjectivity
create fairness
reduce favoritism
protect the culture you claim to value
Without them, everything becomes personality-driven.
And personality-driven firms are fragile.
If certain behaviors in your firm are being excused as “just how they are,” it may be time to reassess the standard.
I help law firms define, reinforce, and consistently apply performance expectations — so culture strengthens instead of bending around exceptions.