Do you ever feel that you’re just one lawyer in a large sea of others? New lawyers often begin their practices wondering how to distinguish themselves from the hundreds or thousands of other lawyers occupying the same niche. And lawyers who’ve been in practice for some time may have the same nagging question. Though the […]
Tactical Transparency By Shel Holtz and John C. Havens I recently noticed a new television commercial for Domino’s Pizza, in which the company lays bare the perception that its pizza is bland and then describes new changes to the recipe, closing with an invitation to try the new Domino’s. That’s some transparency. But in today’s […]
One of the top concerns for most lawyers is time management. We all have so much to accomplish in so little time, and it often seems that we’re always trying to cram more activities (whether professional or personal) into the non-negotiable 168 hours we have each week. Most of my coaching clients bring time management […]
Leaders are often depicted as resolute, visionary, motivational, intent on reminding followers to get with the program or get off the team. And we’ve all heard that it’s lonely at the top. No question that leaders may be called on to make difficult decisions and to demand compliance with those decisions. To fail to do […]
It’s the time of year for holiday specials, and last night’s offering was Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town. And while I enjoyed the story and the theme, I was dumbfounded when I realized that there’s a bit of a link between Santa and client development! If you remember the lyrics to the song, you’ll […]
A Sense of Urgency by John P. Kotter John Kotter, a noted expert on leadership and change management, fervently believes that attachment to the status quo is a silent but deadly killer. Through numerous examples, Kotter demonstrates that organization stall and atrophy as change fails. Kotter’s bottom line? If it ain’t broke, break it. A […]
Do you know how to get the most from your sponsorships? If you’re building your “brand,” whether it’s your personal brand or your firm’s, the goal is to raise others’ awareness of you. It’s an opportunity to let them know what you stand for and what space you occupy in the market. An example here: […]
I recently spoke with a lawyer who had tried a variety of business development activities, all to no avail. She’d written articles, she’d taught seminars, she’d advertised, she’d attended some networking events, she’d posted her profile on various social networking sites, and so on. But after all of that, she didn’t have any results to […]
It is, perhaps, a bit of a cliché to focus on gratitude during the United States Thanksgiving week. Nonetheless, the theme is so important to business development that, cliché or no, that’s the focus for this week’s Weekly Rainmaker Activity. I’ll begin today’s lesson with a story. After I’d been in practice for several years, […]
Lawyers who are or aspire to be leaders must learn to self-manage. Especially when stressed or under pressure (and who isn’t, at least part of the time?). It’s easy to let self-management slide in the face of provocation. Some attorneys I know offer a blanket apology to staff and colleagues — something like, “I’m feeling […]