How Leaders Leverage Resources

Law books library

Source: PICRYL

My client, Grant, is a law professor who built a world-class conference from resources he had to create. He leveraged each resource to help him acquire the next. But he never compromised his principles to acquire them. Instead, he deflected demands for any quid pro quo that he disliked, offering clever compensations that both parties could live with. So, as you read this story, ask yourself:

• Am I good at judging potential resources to leverage on my way to leading a project?
• Do I know how to leverage my resources, so that one leads seamlessly to my acquiring the next?
• If people are among my resources, do I still treat them as people, or am I at risk of losing them because I lose sight of their own needs?
• Am I good at organizing resources so that, together, they are effective—that is, do I see the whole ensemble, however intricate it may be?
• Am I able to call on others to help me see the big picture?

As Grant leverages one resource after another, each incident becomes a lesson in what it takes to lead.

An ambitious young professor at a not-so-top law school, Grant set out to elevate his school’s status—and his own—by drawing attention to what he called its hidden strengths. “Look,” he said, “we have a great intellectual property program (I’m part of it!), but it’s under the radar. If I can make those ranking guys take note, then the school wins and my own prestige gets a boost.”

The challenge was to make a mid-range school relevant to IP practitioners everywhere. As Grant saw it, they just needed a forum, which his school could supply.

So, he would develop and lead a conference on patents, trademarks, and copyright from an international perspective. “We’d rocket up the rankings if we could pull this off,” he said.

From a leadership perspective, my first question was “How can you pull this off? Do you have the resources to support this project?”

“I’ll get them,” he said. “I just need to get organized.” What he meant was that he just had to establish his priorities and, systematically pursue them. Grant knew what he needed; the trick was to be resourceful about acquiring resources.

Of course, all big plans initially run through the Dean’s office. Grant made an appointment and delivered his elevator pitch.

The Dean was receptive. But, he asked, “How will you pay for this?” Grant responded. “I’m scouting resources, and your approval provides leverage. If people know you’re on board, they’ll support me.” In effect, the Dean’s support was Grant’s first resource.

The idea was to have everything in place in eighteen months, from catering to speakers to a website on which people could register and find the program. But Grant still acknowledged that the Dean’s underlying concern , money, was a big factor. So, once again, the question was how to find resources.

A crucial element of leadership is knowing what resources you can call on, in what order to call on them so that each leverages the next, and how to make the most of each one as you access it. Here, Grant was a master. “I can use the Dean’s approval,” he said, “to get seed money from the general counsel of [a giant tech company].”

All that remained was to wangle an appointment with a guy who flew around the world as often as he was in the office. “Oh, and here’s the kicker,” he said. “I’ll put his company’s logo on the website.” Then he realized he didn’t have a website. “I’d better get one designed pretty fast,” he advised himself. “I can keep a few balls in the air.” I didn’t doubt that he could . . . especially since he reported at our next meeting that, while attending to all his other work, he’d had a Zoom call with the general counsel. “This guy’ll draw up an MOU (memorandum of understanding) where he’ll advance a million, then half of that, then half of that again over three years, provided we pick up the rest of the money from attendees and other sponsors.”

But Grant realized that while he could leverage the tech company’s example to encourage the law firms, they’d probably demand some quid pro quo. “They want real-time exposure, but that cheapens the conference. I’m opposed to pay-to-play.” In insisting on the high road, however, had Grant limited his access to financial resources (apart from the paying attendees)?

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He came up with the idea that potential speakers would compete for speakerships. “I’ll invite everyone to submit ideas, and there will be an open-to-all discussion once they’re submitted.” Thus, he would inflect the conference with so much prestige that people would offer their best ideas and explain why they should present them. If they lost out to the competition, how could anyone complain?

But still. This was going to be a massive conference with three tracks (patents, copyright, and trademark), so how could he be sure to get all the best ideas? “I need another resource for ideas, and to vet ideas” he told me. “You know,” the students might be willing to help organize this conference?”

Many of them were. They agreed to review the submissions and to meet each week (in patent, trademark, and copyright pods) as the suggestions rolled in. They would help evaluate the suggestions and also research other potential ideas.

Grant had turned the students into a resource. He knew how to interest them, leveraging what they hoped to gain from the experience.

As the conference took shape, Grant learned a lot about finding and utilizing resources. For example:

• Leaders leverage their resources so that accessing one resource makes possible access to the next.
• Finding resources depends on knowing where to start; you can’t leverage anything until there is something to leverage.
• When people are a potential resource, they will frequently demand a quid pro quo; the issue is whether to provide what they want or deflect their demands by providing something else (the law firms wanted speaking slots but got their logos on a prestigious, no-compromise conference).
• Sometimes imagination is called for, but other times you do not need to reinvent the wheel. It’s important to know the difference
• To get funded, you first must win over the people with funds

Grant did not just pile up resources. He used them effectively.