The Danger of the “Parachute Owner” in Law Firms
What’s a “Parachute Owner”?
I’ve seen this pattern more than once: a law firm owner who’s mostly absent from day-to-day operations. Then, suddenly, they parachute in — override leadership, make unilateral decisions, and disrupt priorities, all based on gut feelings instead of data.
At first, it might feel like strong leadership. But in reality, the parachute owner destroys trust and stability inside the firm.
Why It’s So Dangerous
It Undermines Leadership. When a managing partner or COO builds systems, only to be overruled by surprise decisions, authority crumbles.
It Shatters Culture. Teams stop trusting leadership when decisions feel random and ungrounded.
It Drives Turnover. High performers won’t stay where leadership is unpredictable.
It Stalls Progress. Operational plans stall when they’re constantly derailed by hunches.
Example: The Firm That Lost Its Leadership Team
I once worked with a firm led by a parachute owner. Leadership meetings were ignored, strategy was sidestepped, and decisions came down from above with no warning. Within 18 months, the leadership team had turned over completely — leaving the firm unstable and scrambling to recover.
The Alternative: Empowered Leadership
Owners should:
Hire professional leadership. Bring in integrators, COOs, or practice leaders who are better at operations than you are.
Empower them. Give authority with accountability, not micromanagement.
Stick to your altitude. Owners should set vision and culture, not parachute into daily execution.
The COO’s Role
A fractional COO helps:
Translate vision into systems.
Keep owners aligned at the right level.
Create rhythms where leadership collaborates instead of collides.
The Bottom Line
Parachuting into your own firm may feel powerful. But it destroys trust, culture, and growth. Hire leaders. Empower them. And stay out of the weeds.
At ING Collaborations, I help law firms escape the parachute owner trap by building systems and empowering leadership. If you’re ready to grow without chaos, let’s connect.