You know that thought experiment where people ask “if you could go back in time and tell an 8 year old you something, what would it be?”
And then someone (usually a dude, in the back of the room screams) buy Apple Stock (or Amazon Stock, or Tesla)…
Well, on the one hand I hate that thought experiment when done as a joke, but on the other hand I wish I understood these things sooner.
1. “I Am Groot” – The Growth Mindset
This is where it all starts. You HAVE to understand that who you are today isn’t who you will be (and honestly, it’s probably sad if you don’t change that much over a long timeline).
I get asked a bunch about my risk tolerance…and trust me, I know who people who have WAY more risk in their life than I am comfortable with…but honestly, for me, when I do something knew there are only 3 outcomes
1) It will go well
2) I will learn from it
3) I will die and then I wouldn’t be here to worry anyway
And while I am mostly kidding about #3, or at least the likelihood of that outcome prevents me from doing some things…I am serious #1 and #2. I just turned 36…what the fuck am I going to do today business decision wise that truly ruins the rest of my life?
And while usually the growth mindset is great…”I can’t do this YET” instead or “I just can’t do it”…even Groot turns setbacks into growth. Remember, “I am Groot” means sticking to your roots while reaching for the stars.
2. The Tony Stark Approach – Problems as Possibilities
Like Stark turning scraps into the Iron Man suit, view each problem as a piece to build your empire.
Or as Marcus Aureluis would stay – what stands in the way becomes the way.
Whatever problem you are currently facing, look at it as a chance to become the type of person who overcomes that problem and we can all be superheroes!
3. Yoda’s Wisdom – Teaching is Learning
“The best teacher, failure is.” Every failure is a lesson in disguise; embrace it, learn from it, and share the wisdom.
If you KNOW it will take you 100 tries to get something right, you didn’t fail once…you got 1% of the way to your goal.
4. The Matrix Maneuver – Busy vs. Productive
Neo chooses between the red and blue pills. Choose tasks that matter (red pill), not just busywork (blue pill).
We have to get rid of the billable hour as much as we can so we can stop wearing overwork as a badge of honor.
I don’t care how many hours you worked, I don’t even care how much money you made…I care if you’re happy and enjoying life and being there for those who need you, and asking for help when you need it…and being productive on what truly matters.
5. The Gandalf Theory – Leadership as Service
“You shall not pass!” unless you’re serving those you lead. Leadership means clearing the path for others.
We all only get 168 hours every day. There’s NOTHING we can do to change that, but we can control what WE have to do in that time. So if you can build and grow your team – not just in size…but in skills and resources and abilities…THAT my friends is scalable.
6. The Batman and Alfred Protocol – Delegation
Even Batman needs Alfred. Delegating tasks isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s maximizing the Batcave’s efficiency.
Bonus points when you delegate things to people who do them better that you EVER could. Or enjoy them more. Or take ownership and tweak them to make the whole process better and more impactful than it was when you did it.
7. The Captain America Creed – Ethics at the Core
Let your moral compass guide you as steadfastly as it does Steve Rogers. Ethical practices build lasting legacies.
This applies to how you treat your clients, your employees, opposing counsels, everyone. And look, I will be the FIRST to admit this is still aspirational for me…or at least I can ALWAYS be better at this.
And sure, I can show you the financial benefit to this between employees not leaving, clients sending their friends or coming back with future cases, and even referral sources hiring us directly (or for their spouses and kids)…but that is BECAUSE to me it’s the RIGHT thing to do first, and the $$$ comes second.
8. The Skywalker Saga – Embracing Change
Change is inevitable, as Luke Skywalker knows. Adapt and evolve; your firm’s survival depends on it.
This plays out in literally every different way…but I want to highlight the old “what happens if I train these employees up and then they leave?” Which doesn’t scare me as much as if you DON’T train them up and keep them underperforming and then they stay…
To combine this with the last one, pull a quote from Richard Branson – Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough, so they don’t want to.
9. The Kal-El Clause – Humility in Power
Superman’s strength is tempered by his humility. Powerful leadership is grounded in humility and respect.
Kendra Niiro once told me that I was easy to root for and it’s really the nicest compliment I have gotten.
ESPECIALLY as lawyers it’s easy to flaunt our wins and brag about ourselves and then watch everyone cheer the minute you get any comeuppance. Instead, make it about everyone else and still watch the accolades come in PLUS have people who want to work with you instead of being stuck working FOR you.
That being said
10. The Peter Parker Reminder – Great Power and Responsibility
With great power comes great responsibility. Recently, my son found my President flashcards that I used to try and remember the order of the Presidents.
To my son’s credit he immediately pointed out there were no women and only one not fully white guy in the mix…but then we got to talking about the job of the President and how hard it must be.
Do you do option A and maybe kill these people, or option B and kill those, or do nothing and maybe everyone dies anyway…
If the decisions were easy…they wouldn’t come to you, so make sure you are positioned to make the hard decisions. Yes, delegate and empower your staff, but know when you have to step in.
11. The Bruce Banner Balance – Managing Stress
Keep your inner Hulk in check. Manage stress to prevent it from managing you.
I cannot stress this enough. In fact, one of my team members (who’s been with me for over 3 years) commented on how much nicer I seem. I refuse to believe that my numbers reflect my happiness and instead believe (as does all of the research on happiness) that my happiness reflects my numbers being better.
Your team is watching.
That being said…you can also create a ton of trust by being mad FOR them instead of AT them. Firing a poor fit team member, or standing up to an asshole client for your team can be the difference between buy in and box checking.
12. The Frodo Baggins Burden – Small Steps to Big Goals
Every step towards Mordor was small but essential. Progress is progress, no matter the size.
Or the journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step – a famous Chinese Proverb.
It’s EASY to see how far away from the ultimate goal you are. It’s HARD to see how far you’ve come since.
13. The Stark Industries Innovation – Embracing Technology
Innovate like Stark Industries. Leverage new tech to keep your firm at the forefront of legal tech.
Here’s what terrifies me about AI – the more people who use it, the faster it learns. So the longer you wait to start using it the more you fall behind.
You might do 5-10 consults a week. A large firm might do 100. AI might see the results of 1,000,000 consultations a day. It’s going to learn what lines and price options and offers truly move the needle SO much faster than you will without the tool.
14. The Thanos Theory – Balance is Key
Like balancing the universe, balance your workload to ensure every task receives the attention it deserves.
The best villians are the ones who you kind of see their point…Thanos is no exception.
I have NEVER read a memoir where someone appreciated never seeing their friends and family. I have NEVER heard of someone on their deathbed thanking all the long nights at the office.
What the fuck are you doing this for if it’s just to have no balance and be totally miserable?
Make sure you have time for work, AND your family AND your friends AND yourself.
Usually that means saying no to work things here and there.
15. The Thor Thunder – Harness Your Strengths
Know and wield your strengths with the might of Mjolnir to command the battlefield of business.
Here’s my hot take – YOU (really anyone in general) should be doubling down on their gifts. It’s not that I am innately better at X than anyone else (see #1 on the growth mindset)…it’s that I ENJOY X and therefore can put in the time and energy to get better and better.
So embrace that.
But then ALSO, hire people who HATE doing X and LOVE doing Y. Now the company can do both without anyone being miserable or not as great as anything.
16. It’s Okay to Do Less – Like not having a reference for this one
I love the Paretto principle (which states that 80% of our outcomes come from 20% of our input). 20% of your marketing gets you 80% of your cases. 20% of your clients are 80% of your headaches. Etc.
With technology and innovation I think a lot of things are closer to 90/10 or even 99/1.
So, before you put anything new on your plate…what are 4 (yes FOUR) things you can take off of your plate? This can be by delegating them, automating them, or just not doing them.
17. The Tony Stark Sales Strategy – No One Wants to Give You Money, Make Them Want to Invest
Tony Stark doesn’t sell; he enchants. Shift from selling to creating value so compelling that your clients feel like they’re investing in their success, not just opening their wallets.
No one WANTS to hire you. No one WANTS to need a lawyer. But they do.
And the more you understand what you REALLY sell – it might be peace of mind, it might be a guide through the hardest part of their life, it might be helping them time travel to before they were burdened with this injury…the more you understand this the better of a job you will do for them.
And let’s go a step further on this
18. The Tyrion Lannister Guide to Negotiation – Always Be Buying, Never Sell
“Everything’s worth what its purchaser will pay for it.” – Tyrion Lannister. In negotiations, position yourself as a buyer of their problems, not a seller of your services.
I want to give a HUGE shout out to Dan Sullivan for this one, as it has totally changed my perspective (this is the one that is the MOST new of a shift for me).
You aren’t selling them on your services…they are selling you on being an ideal client. When you look at it that way, you will not settle for a meh fit, you will not change your price for them, you will not massage your legal service offering to accommodate them, instead, you will politely decline and buy from the next person (or better lead).
19. The Dumbledore Self-Preservation – It’s Okay to be Selfish
“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” Dumbledore knows the value of self-preservation. Prioritize your well-being; it’s not selfish to refill your own cup so you can be more for others.
“Please put on your oxygen mask before helping others.” I wish some lawyers would get that tattooed on them.
You cannot pour from an empty cup. Our rates of anxiety and depression are 2-4 times the standard for non-lawyers. And our rates of suicide are 5-25 times the rates of non-lawyers.
We HAVE to be better, and it starts by being selfish. NO, that does NOT mean giving yourself a raise and cutting everyone else’s bonus.
But it DOES mean being okay leaving at 5pm to get home for dinner (or to make dinner for everyone else if you’re like me). It means it’s okay to spend the $$$ on a massage and relax for an hour. It means it’s okay to turn down this one emergency case and go away for the weekend.
Put yourself first when you can, so you can be there to help others.
20. The Gandalf Principle – Nothing Will Ever Be Perfect
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” – Gandalf. Perfection is a myth. Aim for progress and improvement. Accept that some things are out of your control, just as Gandalf does.
This is NOT a new mindset shift for me, BUT I had a crazy insight at a recent therapy session (because let’s be honest…what’s more growth mindset and self-help them actually getting professional self-help).
I don’t WANT to be the best, because to me that’s too close to perfection. Instead I want to be better every day, and that’s how I truly enjoy the journey instead of just wanting the destination.
21. The Nick Fury Directive – Say What You’re Going to Do, Then Do What You Say
“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.” – Nick Fury. Build trust by being reliable and consistent, just as Nick Fury leads S.H.I.E.L.D. with decisiveness and follow-through.
As lawyers, we don’t have a trademark on case law, or a super secret motion that no one else can file. All we have is our word.
So say what you’re doing to do and do what you say – to clients, employees, judges, opposing parties, and referral sources.
That means showing up when you say you will. It means making your deadlines and commitments (OR JUST SAY NO TO THEM TO BEGIN WITH). It means agreeing to less, but actually doing it and doing it well.
22. The Professor X Approach – We Are Not a Family, We Are a Team
“We are not a team because we work together. We are a team because we respect, trust, and care for each other.” Like Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, focus on building a team where mutual respect and trust are more valuable than familial bonds.
I hate the “at my office we are family.” No you’re not. If I don’t give my sister any money for a year she’s still my sister. And if my crazy uncle shows up to family dinner with his wild conspiracy theory about how the solar eclipse was a hoax to keep us from seeing the truth…he still gets invited to other family stuff. We are not family, because we don’t choose family.
We are a TEAM. We get to choose our team. And people who can’t keep up with us can find a great fit someplace else.
23. The Vision Virtue – Doing Nothing Is Something
“In times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers.” – Vision. Sometimes, the best action is inaction…and sometimes it’s not.
But deciding not to do something is a decision.
Not having a written system for something, still means you have a system…it just might mean no one knows anything about it or everyone does it differently.
And doing nothing to build your brand still means you HAVE a brand.
So…either affirmative do nothing, OR
24. The Captain Picard Command – Be Intentional
“Make it so.” – Jean-Luc Picard. Every decision and action should be made with intention and purpose, just as Captain Picard leads the Starship Enterprise with deliberate actions that align with his values and goals.
I have NEVER regretted planning things out before I did them. I have regretted planning things so much that I NEVER did them, so it is a fine line.
But a little bit of focus and foresight here and there will do a LONG way. So don’t just calendar the event…instead calendar time to think about it, AND time to plan for it, AND time to think through how you would do things different AFTER the event…
That being said…I probably should have planned this out better so it wasn’t 12 and 13 things on two list…or maybe I should have made sure all of them are organized in a better flow (instead of just some)…but
25. The Harvey Specter Rule – It’s All In Your Control
“When you’re backed against the wall, break the goddamn thing down.” – Harvey Specter. Assume responsibility for everything in your firm. This mindset fosters a culture of accountability and leadership.
The more I have come to realize that everything is in my control (or at least that a LOT more things are) the happier I have become.
Terrible employee? I hired them and let them stay.
Asshole client? I marketed to them, created the sales process to get them to sign up, and didn’t fire them yet.
Friendship that is all give and take? You give and they take – well, you keep reaching out to this person or letting them be in your life.
TAKE OWNERSHIP of as much as you can. There is strength in that power AND to the extent that you have to change…it’s a LOT easier to change yourself than it is to change anyone else.
These mindset shifts are your utility belt, packed with tools to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of law firm management.
Until then, keep adjusting your cape, tuning your gadgets, and preparing to fly higher!