Leverage For Lawyers

Posted by Elizabeth Zelinka

The landscape of big law is changing faster than any of us can truly understand. Whether you are facing a forced exit from big law or not, it is impossible not to sense imminent change confronting you. My post yesterday talked about the importance of clarity, and no matter what situation you are in, I think more can be said on this topic.

In times of dramatic change, why is clarity important? Because dramatic change typically creates confusion—at least temporarily. Confusion tends to make us cling to safety. It takes away our broader vision, and it often narrows our focus so completely that we lose site of most of what really matters to us.

I challenge anyone in big law today to take a deep breath and seek clarity—whether it is clarity about your practice, your clients, your firm, your team, your role or your bigger life picture. Any and all of these are relevant and important to moving through this transition and ending up in a place that makes sense.

One of the most powerful techniques for achieving clarity is a process called profiling. Profiling takes you up to 10,000 feet so that you can see the big picture. It forces you to define ideal characteristics. It asks you to consider a “perfect world” scenario. It requires you to remove limitations and obstacles from your thinking. At the end of the day, it develops a vision toward which you can move with confidence, meaning that you control your forward motion instead of reacting to circumstances and hoping for the best.

There has perhaps never been a more important time to have clarity in the legal profession, and those who have it will meet with success on the other side of this transition.

Elizabeth Zelinka is a Strategic Growth Consultant and Career Coach with Zelinka & Prince Search Partners. She can be reached through her website at http://zpsearchpartners.com.

Similar Posts:

• More About Clarity

Tweet This Post