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Author Archive for: strategic
Entries by strategic
Unhappy lawyer no more: Monica Parker visits Life at the Bar
Although many lawyers who read this blog enjoy practicing law, comments and emails I’ve received prove that not all readers fall into that category. Studies show that anywhere between 20 and 70 percent of lawyers would like to leave the practice. If you fall into that group, where do you turn? Meet Monica Parker. Monica is a […]
Michelle Obama, a dissatisfied associate?
There’s an interesting story in yesterday’s Chicago Sun-Times, excerpting a new book that describes Michelle Obama’s dissatisfaction with the work she was doing as a second-year associate at Sidley Austin. A sample: Too monotonous for Michelle, who, White [the partner in charge of the firm’s advertising group, of which Obama was a member] says, complained that […]
Top delegation mistakes
I’m still getting swamped with questions about the free preview call I did a couple of weeks ago, discussing delegation skills and how to manage email. So, I thought I’d share the five top mistakes lawyers make when delegating. If you recognize yourself in any of these mistakes, it’s time to brush up on your […]
Systems awareness for lawyers-leaders
Elementary school children learn something that talented adults often forget: systems awareness. Remember the song that goes, “the knee bone’s connected to the leg bone, the leg bone’s connected to the hip bone,” and so on? That’s a form of systems awareness: if the knee goes out of whack, you can bet that the leg […]
Top Tasks When Beginning in a New Job
A lawyer contacted me after switching to a new firm. Eager to make a great first impression and to make the most of the first six months, he asked what he should be sure to do. Here’s my non-exhaustive list: 1. Do excellent work. First impressions are often lasting impressions and fumbling an early assignment […]
How flexible is your leadership style?
A review of Leadership That Gets Results by Daniel Goleman (Harvard Business Review, 2000) Daniel Goleman gained notoriety in the mid-1990s for identifying competencies related to “emotional intelligence,” or the ability to perceive, regulate, understand, and work with emotions to enhance leadership. Those competencies are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill. Based on research […]
The Art of Being Fully Present
How often do you find yourself doing one activity and thinking about another? Perhaps you check email while you’re on the phone or talking to someone? Or you read the paper (or browse the web) while your partner or child is trying to tell you something? It’s so common to do this, and when we […]
Avoid overwhelm: hit reset!
A client recently called me, and I could hear the tension in his voice right away. Too many projects coming due at the same time (and thus, another long weekend in the office) combined with sheer exhaustion to make Rick an unhappy lawyer. “I just don’t know how I’m going to get it all done. […]
Could you be unemployable? It’s up to you.
Introducing Ron Peterson, a guest author. To learn more about Ron, scroll to the end of his post. Lawyers will often carry Phi-Beta Kappa keys, law review credentials, marquee college and law school degrees, and—after a few years of diligent and conscientious practice—a growing realization that they may be unemployable! How can this be? Throughout […]