As part of Legacy, today, I will be answering the following question as a 21 Day Program. The question sits at the heart of what is broken with professional services firms (law, audit, tax, consulting, banking etc) and why it will likely become worse. This looks like a simple question, but essentially asks what is a partner, technically and morally, and what role they serve. It's a question that is very close to me and, I believe, these answers have been lost in the last few decades: "Dear Michael,

I have consistently delivered my sales targets at my consulting firm, often exceeding them by 40%, and I have done so four years in a row. I am a director, and I have been at the firm for nine years. Last year I brought in about six million dollars in new work.

Yet, I am not up for partner. Each year at review time my firm tells me I am not ready, and nobody gives me concrete things to fix. The last two partner classes included people who sold less than I did.

If things do not change, I have no problem going to rival firms. I have received lots of offers."