In his article 'Leading from the middle' (Legal Week, 15 February, 2007), Tony Angel made the distinction between leadership and management and identified the role of the law firm managing partner as having three basic objectives:

- setting the strategic goal and objectives for the firm and getting real partner buy-in to them;

- aligning every aspect of the firm behind that strategy and maintaining that alignment; and

- providing the infrastructure and support the firm needs to achieve its goal.

The focus of most commentators on law firm management is on the role of the managing partner in delivering the overall strategic objectives of the firm and that is, of course understandable, but the role of middle management within law firms is a vital one too, especially as firms increase in size and seek to capitalise more and more on driving synergies from their multi-office or multi-jurisdictional platforms.

Middle managers in law firms are often practice area, sector, office or team leaders who, in addition to their management roles, will be required to contribute fully to the fee earning side of the business as well. Many middle managers are chosen not for their leadership or their management skills but for their seniority in the business or, on occasions, for their mere willingness to do the job. Middle management can be seen in purely administrative terms, as a chore to be endured for a limited period before life returns to normal.

The tools available to the middle manager are not always the same as those available to the managing partner. Very often middle management in law firms can be an exercise in gentle persuasion, encouragement and persistence.

Pressure at the coalface can sometimes be felt more keenly than in the comfort of the management suite. Competition is an ever-present issue for all law firms and proactively positioning a law firm so that it is best able to compete is a major task for any law firm managing partner.

But the pressure to respond to the increasing demands of clients, to generate ever-increasing levels of revenue and to retain and motivate partners and staff is felt acutely too by many middle managers, and the close personal relationships that can exist among smaller groups, perhaps for example at the team level, can sometimes add further complications.

It is true that implementing the vision of your managing partner can be a challenging task. It is not always easy to see things through someone else's eyes with the same clarity and or to deliver on someone else's plan with the same conviction. Personally, I enjoy the role of being able to deliver on our strategy, which has been well communicated and is proving successful. At the coalface, the vital role of translating a vision into reality and the task of aligning the business with strategy falls to middle management.

Clearly the managing partner has the major role to play and the clarity and conviction in which he is able to deliver the strategy to the firm will play a significant part in its success. In my experience, having a managing partner who does equip middle management with the tools and necessary support and infrastructure to do their job ensures the alignment of the whole firm behind his strategy.

Middle managers who are good communicators and who carry the respect and confidence of the members of their team may be a rare breed, but they generate a momentum within a firm that becomes unstoppable.

Law firms that recognise the part that middle management has to play in delivering their strategy – and properly identify and train the right people – will reap the benefits.

James Bateson is global head of financial institutions at Norton Rose.