In a world where we are faced with a variety of things vying for our attention every day, listening to and giving 100% of our concentration to someone is a skill many of us aren’t practiced in. We aren’t trained to strategically and actively listen, and this is normal. However, I want to impart a few lessons I’ve learned as a professionally trained coach about listening better.

 

Listening is one of the most underrated communication tools available to us, and I believe it can be far more powerful than speaking when it comes to creating connections. There is a gap between the level at which we are currently listening and the level of listening I know we are all capable of. This week, I’m walking you through the steps to becoming a great listener.

 

Criticism or negative feedback is a topic to which we can all relate. Whether in your professional work or your personal life, we’ve all experienced receiving feedback that has felt like a thorn in our side. It might have slowed you down, sown doubt in your self-confidence, or even outright stopped you in your tracks.

 

While criticism in and of itself is not a problem, we can fall into the trap of seeing criticism as something that’s inherently bad. For most of us, experiencing criticism automatically brings up a sense of embarrassment, shame, or discouragement. However, the good news is that you can use it in a productive way rather than letting it slow you down.

 

Delegation is a topic that I frequently address with my coaching clients. It’s a subject to which I’ve been invited to teach at law firms, and I’ve also spoken about this topic from the perspective of a junior lawyer or student who receives instructions from more senior lawyers.

 

If this episode has caught your eye, my guess is that you are either an assigning lawyer looking for ideas on how to delegate more effectively, or you’re a junior lawyer or student seeking strategies for implementing directions with ease. Regardless of which camp you fall into, you’re in the right place because I’m approaching this topic from both sides.

 

Are you experiencing any of the classic time management problems in your practice? Do you dread what’s on your calendar and how it makes you feel? Is procrastination a prevalent issue for you? Do you feel doubtful about your ability to make aligned decisions when it comes to your schedule?

 

While there is a variety of tools and strategies you can implement to try to curb challenging time management behaviors, I’m taking a different approach in this week’s episode. I’m exploring time management through the lens of confidence because the truth is, without examining your lack of self-confidence, you will continue to take self-defeating actions as they relate to your time.

 

If you’re anything like me, you might find yourself struggling with feelings of impatience this summer. This time of year means many of us are trying to get just as much done with less time, and whether this is showing up for you in your professional life or at home with your kids, exercising patience may be challenging right now.

 

Impatience can be an incredibly helpful tool that acts as a great motivator in certain situations. Sometimes, it’s the push you need to get the results you want. However, if you’re noticing a recurring sense of restlessness, anxiety, and discomfort around tasks in your work and personal life, it may be time to explore how to manage your experience of impatience. 

 

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you’ve worked extremely hard to get where you thought you wanted to be, only to feel like you’ve somehow ended up on the wrong path?

 

Maybe you know your position is a coveted one, and other people would line up to be presented with that opportunity, but you can’t help but question it. Perhaps you try to imagine a happy future, and you just can’t see it. Is something else calling to you, and yet, when you allow yourself to follow that thread, it seems reckless to throw away everything you’ve worked for up to this point?

 

There’s something so magnetic about a comeback story, isn’t there? When we see someone experience success, fall from grace, and then find the tenacity, will, and resilience to rise back up to the top, it’s almost ingrained in our DNA as humans to be drawn to that kind of journey.

 

Life is full of setbacks and comebacks. Whether it’s losing a case, making a mistake on a file, or a deal going sideways, there are all sorts of ways your practice will present setbacks that feel devastating. However, the great news is that every setback is an opportunity for an epic comeback, and this week, I’m walking you through all the necessary ingredients for a comeback that has you thriving moving forward.

 

You may not see yourself as a leader right now, and I invite you to question that this week. I was inspired by the first group of women who recently completed my six-month group coaching and mastermind program, all of whom have emerged as confident leaders. I have witnessed the power that stepping into leadership can offer both at work and in other aspects of life.

 

If you currently don’t see yourself as a leader, you are definitely not alone. There are various internal and environmental factors that can make it challenging for us to envision ourselves in a leadership role. Whether you have had models of leadership that you don’t relate to or you simply can’t see the value you could contribute as a leader, the essence of this episode is about why questioning this assumption matters.

 

The topic of transitions, and specifically the transition of leaving your job, is a delicate one. Many lawyers have reached out to me for help with this exact conundrum, and while some ultimately make the transition and leave their jobs, others choose not to. My goal this week is to provide a framework that will help you make this decision for yourself.

 

You might find yourself in a position where, overall, things are good in your professional life. You enjoy the people you work with, are well-compensated, feel your work is interesting, and there are a number of features about your career that you love. At the same time, you might feel troubled about something not seeming quite right, and if this resonates, you’re in the right place.

 

Can you relate to being in an environment that exacerbates your perfectionism? Do you see the unicorn-like prototype of lawyers who are the highest billers, always getting it right the first time and excelling on all levels, and find yourself trying to measure up against them?

 

Perfectionism tends to be a recurring theme among high-achieving professionals. In a culture that highly esteems perfection, there are often standards and expectations that go beyond what is realistically achievable or practical within the legal framework. If you have a sense that perfectionism is hindering you from pursuing what you truly desire, you’ve come to the right place.