It’s probably not the version of you that’s wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sipping a cocktail.
What do Moon Knight, That Weird Dude at the Gym who Yells at Himself in the Mirror, and your law firm have in common?
Multiple personalities running the show, some of them with zero business being in charge.
Let me explain.
The 3 Versions of You (Whether You Admit It or Not)
If you’re like most firm owners I coach, your week is a chaotic blend of three different roles you play.
The Operator. This is the version of you grinding out the work. Going to Court. Checking in with clients. Reviewing documents. Doing tasks you probably shouldn’t be doing anymore.
The Firefighter. Thank you to Rachel McGarry for this lingo!!!! Her presentation about this was SOOO awesome. Basically, this is crisis mode you. Reacting to urgent issues. Jumping into inboxes. Dousing other people’s dumpster fires. Honestly, a little addicted to feeling needed. Think Captain Marvel swooping in to blow up the whole ship during Endgame.
The CEO, also known as Hawaiian Shirt You. This is the version you want running the show. Visionary. Strategic. Delegating. Networking. Designing a life and business you actually enjoy. Gordon Gecko without the greed…Jordan Balfort without…a lot of the things they did.
Now here’s the kicker.
Only one of those versions builds a better future. The other two just keep you stuck in the same week on repeat, like Groundhog Day but with more billable hours and fewer laughs.
The Problem Is Your Calendar
You think the CEO is in charge, but your calendar says otherwise.
If I audited your week right now, how much of it is CEO work like strategy, marketing, partnerships, or vision?
How much is Operator work like case tasks, admin, or checking email?
And how much is Firefighter work like last minute emergencies or the dreaded “Can I pick your brain real quick” disasters?
If you’re like most law firm owners, your calendar betrays your best intentions.
You want to lead, but you’re doing all the wrong jobs.
I want to emphasize that the operator tasks ARE important. Just not what YOU should be doing.
So Who’s Driving Today?
Here’s a quick way to find out.
Look at your calendar this week.
Label each item with a brain emoji for CEO, a wrench for Operator, or a fire emoji for Firefighter.
Add up the time in each category.
If the brain isn’t at least thirty percent of your week, your firm isn’t being run by the person it needs most. Jonathan Haidt has a really cool breakdown of this as the elephant and the rider and which one is leading the way…more rider, less elephant as I try to explain to my 7 year old.
The Fix: Give Your CEO the Keys
Want more CEO time?
You don’t need to work harder.
You need to:
Delegate one Operator task this week, even if it’s messy.
Systematize one Firefighter fix so it doesn’t repeat.
Block one sacred CEO hour for strategy, networking, or vision casting.
Start small. But start now.
(And if you want help mapping this out, grab our Time Audit sheet. It’s already helped dozens of firm owners make the leap.)
You’ve got the Hawaiian shirt…or at least your version of it. Now give that version of you the driver’s seat. Until then, block sixty minutes on your calendar for a CEO task you’ve been avoiding…better yet, make it a recurring task EVERY week. Then honor it like it’s your most important meeting, because it just might be.
Keep Reading
For more on moving from firefighter to CEO, read 5 CEO Moves To Get Out of the Weeds, or browse the Team & Hiring newsletter archive.