Q&A: Normalizing the First Year Transition to Partner

We’ve found there is a significant expectation gap between what New Partners expect of themselves and what their firm leaders want them focused on as they transition into this new role.

New Partners often think they should operate like their more experienced Senior Partners, yet that’s not what firm leaders expect.

In our experience, firm leaders want their New Partners to focus on the basics:

• Serve your clients with high quality and manage the firm’s risk
• Invest in connecting with and building your team
• Do not try and do everything yourself
• Expand your network and participate in proposals with other Partners
• Take care of firm administrative responsibilities without reminders or follow-up

As a New Partner, you don’t need to prove your worth or operate like a more experienced Partner – that will cause overwhelm and burnout and actually send you in the wrong direction. Now is the time to set the foundation for the Partner you want to be for the long-term. On the path to Partner, you spent years laying the foundation, bit by bit. Give yourself the space and grace to do the same during your first few years of Partnership, so you can perform at a higher level and create a more sustainable practice and career.

Q: Why do so many New Partners feel like they’re FAILING in year one?

A: Because this transition often triggers a powerful prove-me mindset full of unrealistic self-set expectations.

Many new Partners step into the role believing they must immediately operate like the most seasoned people at the table. They compare themselves upward, set unrealistic expectations, and assume they must perform on all levels as an expert, which results in overwhelm and self-doubt.

This prove-me mindset shows up in familiar ways:

Holding tightly to technical work

New Partners may hold on too tightly to doing the work because it’s in their comfort zone. When the ground beneath them is shifting, if feels safe to stick with what they’re good at. They also may fear that letting go may result in mistakes or imperfections. So, in a misguided effort to manage risk, they hoard the work instead of delegating and developing their team. They may also wait too long to ask their Partners for help, actually creating more risk for the firm. .

Feeling lost in partner meetings

Many New Partners feel inadequate when they don’t understand firm business immediately. However, Partner meetings are full of context and history that New Partners haven’t been privy to. Not fully “getting it” right away is completely normal. New Partners are stepping into discussions shaped by years—sometimes decades—of background they’re only just beginning to absorb.

Avoiding asking for help because it feels like weakness

A common misconception of New Partners is that they need to have all the answers. In truth, the role requires asking for more help from more people than ever. This is a normal and necessary shift. In fact, at the very essence of a Partnership is relying on your Partners.

New Partners who were previously top performers suddenly find themselves last in key Partner metrics like revenue, book of business, and sales. Yes, these metrics are important, but firm leaders want New Partners focused on the basics, not bringing in the numbers of the highest performing Partners.

Q: Why does year one of Partnership feel so uncomfortable—even for top performers?

A: Because the role requires a mindset most New Partners aren’t prepared for: the beginner’s mindset.

Before making Partner, many people operate at the very top of their game. They’re the “A student” – they know the work, the systems, and how to deliver. Simply by making Partner, they’ve been recognized as the best of the best.

Then, the moment they step into the Partner role, the entire scoring system changes. The rubric is different. The expectations are different. And suddenly, despite being highly capable, they feel like they’re underperforming.

Though it can feel like failure, it’s actually the experience of entering an entirely new phase of their career.

What a beginner’s mindset looks like in practice:

Not understanding everything happening in Partner meetings

Many New Partners assume they should track every conversation and every decision immediately. But these meetings are filled with years of context they haven’t been exposed to yet. Feeling behind or out of the loop is normal—and temporary. Give yourself time to listen and learn.

Having the smallest book of business and lower sales

When firm metrics are shared, New Partners often find themselves at the bottom of the chart. They interpret this as underperformance, but in reality, this is exactly where they’re expected to be. Remember that you’re new. It will take time to grow your book of business.

Feeling unstable or disoriented

New Partners typically enter the role with a lot of hope and big ambitions for influencing the firm’s culture. The reality of the transition, and the depth of the shift from expert to learner, can feel defeating or even devastating. That emotional disruption is part of the transition, not a sign you’re in the wrong place. Slow down, lighten up on yourself, and give yourself time to adjust.

Needing to ask for more help, not less

Partnership isn’t about having all the answers. It requires reaching out to more people, more often, and involving others sooner. The belief that asking for help equates to weakness is one of the biggest myths New Partners buy into.

It feels counterintuitive, but employing a beginner’s mindset doesn’t lower your standards, it creates the space to build a solid foundation for a long, sustainable career as a Partner. It rightsizes your expectations of yourself, so you can lead the firm successfully while modeling to future Partners what this transition should look like.

Q: Why does my client keep calling the former Partner?

It may feel unnerving as a new Partner to realize the client is still calling the previous Partner instead of reaching out to you.

It’s easy to interpret this as a sign that you’re not doing something right.

Many client relationships have been built over many years, sometimes even decades. They’re rooted in trust, history, and personal connection. Those ties don’t shift overnight, no matter how capable you are as a New Partner.

The transition also isn’t entirely in your control. Sometimes the previous Partner struggles to let go, and that dynamic can unintentionally slow the handoff. However, none of this is a reflection of your capabilities.

The solution? Collaboration and communication.

• Communicate with the previous Partner and come up with a transition plan
• Proactively check in with the client and the previous Partner to build trust
• Clarify roles and expectations for both you and the previous Partner
• Give the new client relationship time to evolve naturally

If clients are still calling the previous Partner, it doesn’t mean you’re failing. The shift will happen, it just may not be as quickly as you’d like.

Q: Are you chasing the wrong business as a New Partner?

Many New Partners feel like they need to show impressive results in business development early, which may lead them to pursue prospects that do not align with the firm’s risk profile. The effort to prove themselves can unintentionally backfire and create exposure for the firm.

What most firm leaders actually expect in year one is participation in business development.

New Partners are encouraged to participate in proposals with other Partners, build out their existing networks, and find opportunities to serve as the face of the firm in their community. Bringing on significant new logos is not usually the primary goal. As a New Partner, start with learning more about how business development works and building healthy habits that support long-term success.

Chasing work that isn’t a good fit is a common early misstep. The real skill in year one isn’t about proving you can do it all (all by yourself); it’s about learning, collaborating, and building the foundation for a successful, long career as a Partner.

See you in the DOP,