What if the biggest leadership breakthrough wasn’t in getting louder—but in getting clearer?
In the world of law firm leadership, power often masquerades as pressure. High expectations are seen as synonymous with excellence. But there’s a subtle, profound distinction between demanding excellence and commanding it—and one managing partner recently made that shift.
Here’s how…
Leadership isn’t tested when things are easy. It’s tested in the storm.
A founder and managing partner of a multi-million-dollar plaintiffs’ firm recently found himself navigating one of the most turbulent seasons of his career. In the span of days, he made the difficult decision to let go of multiple team members, including his highest grossing attorney. He wrestled with ethical obligations that led to the filing of bar complaints. He shouldered client communications during an unexpected transition and was suddenly pulled back into the day-to-day legal work he had long since delegated.
It was a lot. And yet, he didn’t just survive the chaos—he led through it. Coaching helped him do that.
There’s a question I love to ask the managing partners I work with—one that cuts through the noise and goes straight to the heart of the matter. The real answer to that question tells you exactly what lives in the gap between how you lead your firm today and how you must lead your firm if you want it to grow beyond you. It gives you the path for the work that must be done if your law firm is to grow beyond you….
The highest-performing leaders don’t just work harder; they work recover smarter. They know that rest and recovery aren’t signs of weakness but competitive advantages. In fact, what’s true for athletes is true for elite Managing Partners: Strategic recovery is what separates elite performers from those who plateau or burn out. Here’s how to do it…
When “Bob” and I first teamed up, he was stuck in a cycle so many law former solos find themselves in—buried in casework, making all the key decisions, and unable to step back without things grinding to a halt. He knew he needed a stronger team, but hiring felt risky. What if he picked the wrong person? What if delegation led to mistakes? As a law firm owner, Bob understood reputation is everything.
Here are the steps “Bob” took to get out of the solo-practitioner bottleneck to setting the vision, creating the right culture, and building a team that could operate at a high level…
Effective leadership requires a delicate balance between empathy and authority. Many believe these qualities are polar opposites, but in reality, they are complementary forces that can transform your leadership style. The ability to connect with your team while maintaining strong decision-making skills is what separates good leaders from great ones.
In this blog post, you’ll explore the dynamics of energy leadership, how to find the right balance between empathy and authority, and practical strategies to implement this approach in your leadership style. By the end, you’ll have a clear framework to create a high-performing, engaged team that thrives under your leadership.
Every client I work with undergoes an Energy Leadership Index (ELI) Assessment at the beginning and end of our coaching relationship. The ELI not only evaluates the current state of a client’s energy but also establishes a shared language for discussing mindset under various stressors, such as leadership challenges, performance pressure, and workload management.
Let’s be 💯. When we don’t think something is achievable, it is virtually impossible to fully commit to the work necessary to achieve that thing. Once we shift from a “can’t be done” to “what if it’s possible” mindset, the possibilities we can imagine are virtually endless. Once we come to this understanding and, more importantly, are able to not only accept it, but lean fully into it, we create clarity of action our competition lacks. That means we’ll generate results, including a full marketing pipeline with high-quality prospects and a increase in revenue. A recent client success is proof-positive of this reality.
A significant and, perhaps, the most powerful aspect of coaching with me is overcoming internal obstacles which preclude success. One of the tools I use is visualization. Simply put, visualization is the practice of creating the future you desire in your mind before it exists in the world. Visualization is a key to overcoming internal obstacles when we “know” what we ought to do. When clients know what to do but don’t execute, there is a gap between knowledge and action. Visualization can, and oftentimes does, close that gap and lead to actionable steps for goal achievement and success. A recent client experience provides a solid example as well as a method for you to employ when faced with an obstacle to action which resides in your mind.
