The Fastest Way to Kill Momentum Is to Put a Committee in Charge
Law firms are full of smart people.
That's one of their greatest strengths.
Partners with decades of experience.
Talented attorneys.
Experienced administrators.
Skilled operational professionals.
When faced with an important decision, it's only natural to want everyone's input.
After all, more perspectives should lead to better decisions.
Right?
Sometimes.
But there's a point where collaboration stops being productive and starts becoming an obstacle.
And I've seen more than a few law firms unintentionally stall their own growth because everyone needed a seat at the table before anything could move forward.
Collaboration Is a Good Thing—Until It Isn't
Let me be clear.
I'm not against collaboration.
Some of the best ideas I've ever seen have come from healthy discussions between people with different perspectives.
Collaboration creates:
better ideas
stronger buy-in
fewer blind spots
more thoughtful decisions
But collaboration has a limit.
Because at some point, someone has to make a decision.
Consensus Is Not the Goal
Many law firms unintentionally create cultures where every significant decision requires consensus.
Every partner weighs in.
Every manager has an opinion.
Every stakeholder wants to be heard.
The intention is admirable.
The result is often paralysis.
Because complete agreement rarely exists.
And waiting for it can keep important initiatives sitting on the shelf for months.
I've Seen Firms Become Collaborative to a Fault
One of the patterns I've noticed in growing firms is that leadership slowly expands the number of people involved in every decision.
A technology purchase?
Let's form a committee.
A compensation discussion?
Let's get everyone's thoughts.
An operational improvement?
Let's schedule another meeting.
Individually, none of those decisions seem unreasonable.
Collectively, they create an organization that struggles to move.
Input and Ownership Are Not the Same Thing
This is one of the biggest distinctions I try to help leadership teams make.
Input should absolutely be collaborative.
Ownership should not.
There's nothing wrong with gathering perspectives from multiple people.
In fact, you probably should.
But once those perspectives have been considered, someone needs to own the outcome.
Not the discussion.
The outcome.
Every Extra Layer Slows Momentum
I've seen firms where an operational improvement required approval from:
practice group leaders
department heads
executive committees
managing partners
shareholder boards
By the time everyone had weighed in, the original momentum was gone.
Months had passed.
Priorities had shifted.
And what started as an exciting initiative quietly faded away.
Not because it was a bad idea.
Because no one had the authority to move it forward decisively.
Growth Requires Decisive Leadership
The fastest-growing firms I've worked with aren't the firms that seek the most opinions.
They're the firms that gather the right input, assign clear ownership, and move.
That doesn't mean they're reckless.
It means they understand that progress requires decisions.
Every decision carries risk.
So does waiting.
Committees Rarely Create Accountability
One of the challenges with committees is that accountability becomes diluted.
Everyone contributes.
No one owns.
If a project succeeds, everyone celebrates.
If it stalls, it's difficult to identify who was responsible for moving it forward.
That's not because committees are inherently ineffective.
It's because accountability is strongest when ownership is clear.
The Best Leaders Know When to Decide
Strong leaders seek advice.
They ask questions.
They invite disagreement.
They gather information.
Then they decide.
They understand that leadership isn't about making everyone happy.
It's about helping the organization move forward.
Sometimes that means making a decision before everyone is completely comfortable.
This Doesn't Mean Decisions Should Be Made Alone
There's an important distinction here.
I'm not advocating for dictatorship.
I'm advocating for clarity.
Healthy organizations encourage discussion.
They welcome different perspectives.
They challenge assumptions.
But they also know exactly who is responsible for making the final decision.
That clarity is what creates momentum.
The Real Question
Instead of asking:
"Who else should weigh in?"
Ask:
"Who owns making this decision?"
Because those are two very different questions.
And one of them is much more likely to move the business forward.
Controversial Truth
The fastest way to kill momentum is to put a committee in charge.
Gather input.
Encourage debate.
Listen carefully.
Then empower someone to decide and move.
Because growth doesn't happen through endless discussion.
It happens through thoughtful execution.
If your law firm has great ideas but struggles to turn them into action, the problem may not be a lack of collaboration.
It may be a lack of ownership.
I help law firms create clear decision-making structures, define ownership, and build operational accountability so important initiatives don't get stuck in committee—they get completed.