Making partner is more than just proving you can win work. You also need to prove that you can build and develop a team.

New partners need to be people who can be trusted to run the firm. This means you need to be someone who can win work, be excellent with clients, and develop a team beneath you.

In fact, people may be turned down for partner because they have either neglected to develop their successor or their team has limited respect for them.

In other words, the quality of the team you build, and how the other non-partners view you, is just as important as the quality of your client portfolio. Having a strong and loyal team is one of the ways you can create more time to build your client portfolio.
So time spent on your team is actually an investment.

(if you need help building your client portfolio check out our I’m a Good Technician but I don’t have a Client Portfolio Game Plan).