As the owner of your law firm, your number one goal is to succeed.
You want to help as many people as possible, make a name for yourself, and leave a lasting legacy of positive impact.
But what happens when those things aren’t happening?
What happens when it feels like you’ve tried everything, and you begin fearing that the juice isn’t worth the squeeze anymore?
If you don’t want to give up — if you’re truly committed to your law firm’s success — you’ve got to ask yourself one very important question:
Am I the problem?
Transformational leadership requires radical self-awareness, and being honest with yourself can hurt.
But the good news is that if you’re the problem, you’re also the solution.
In this article, we’ll help you discover where the problems in your law firm are stemming from — and what you can do to prevent them from ever plaguing it again.
- How You’re Getting in Your Law Firm’s Way
a. Not Providing Clear Direction
b. Bottlenecking Processes
c. Refusing to Ask for Help
d. Resisting Technology
e. Thinking Too Small - How to Get Out of Your Law Firm’s Way
a. Keep the Fire Burning
b. Become a Lifelong Learner
c. Develop a Vision That Excites You
d. Surround Yourself With A-Players
How You’re Getting in Your Law Firm’s Way
Not Providing Clear Direction
To be an effective leader, you need to provide clear direction. Your team members should know what your vision is for the law firm and what their roles are in achieving that vision.
You must see yourself as the captain of the ship, charting the course and steering it in the right direction. How can you expect your team members to follow you if you don’t know where you’re going?
If you’re constantly changing your mind, waffling on decisions, or just going through the motions, it will be impossible for your team members to stay on track. They’ll start to wonder what the point of all their hard work is. The second that happens, you’ve lost them altogether.
Bottlenecking Processes
Part of being an effective leader is knowing how to optimize operations and delegate responsibilities.
You can’t do everything yourself, nor should you try to. If you are the only person who can answer the phones, communicate with clients, process payroll, and try cases, every single function in your law firm will come to a halt when it reaches your plate.
Delegating tasks to your team members not only shows that you trust them to get the job done but also frees you up to focus on your strengths and visionary actions that move your business forward.
Conversely, if you’re constantly micromanaging your team members or bottlenecking the decision-making process, it’s going to be hard for them to feel like they’re truly contributing to the company — and worse, it will be impossible to scale your law firm and serve more clients.
Refusing to Ask for Help
Help comes in many forms, whether it’s asking a colleague for advice, hiring an expert consultant, investing in a mentor relationship, or leveraging technology to automate repetitive tasks.
But as a lawyer, you’re likely used to being in control and handling everything yourself. This can be a recipe for disaster. Not only are you spreading yourself too thin, but you’re also not leveraging the strengths of others to make more progress than you could alone.
In addition to hiring the right time members to provide the help you need, you also need a mentor. A good mentor will help you to develop both professionally and personally, accelerating your growth by giving you access to the experience and advice of a seasoned veteran.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to ask for help from those who know more than you do.
The Game Changers Summit is the best opportunity to foster relationships and find mentors for your law firm. Here, you’ll hear from experts from multiple sectors, network with the best law firm owners in the country, and gain insight to generate unprecedented growth in your law firm.
Resisting Technology
Technology has impacted the legal industry in huge ways in recent years. There are now many tools available to help businesses operate more efficiently and productively. However, many law firm owners still aren’t taking advantage of this technology.
If you’re one of the law firm owners who thinks they’re better off solely using paper filing systems, fax machines, and legal pads, it’s time to enter the 21st century.
Here are just a few of the game changing tools you can look into for making your law firm run more smoothly:
- Email automation: These platforms can be use to automate email campaigns and manage your email lists.
- Graphic design resources: Platforms like Canva can empower your team to create graphics for social media, websites, business cards, and much more — without being a master at Adobe Photoshop.
- Social media management platforms: There are many options for platforms to automate and schedule your social media posting. They also help you track trends to better resonate with your audience.
- Freelance marketplaces: If you need graphic designers, copywriters, data managers, or practically any other kind of service your firm may need, there is someone on a freelance marketplace that can do it for you for a fraction of the average cost.
- Accounting software: There are several accounting systems on the market that are ideal for managing your books. Be sure to do some research on all the available options to determine the best fit for your law firm.
There are project management tools, finance tools, marketing tools, and many other types of software that can help you to save time and money in your law firm. If you’re not using technology to your advantage, you’re falling behind.
Thinking Too Small
You need to have big goals if you want to achieve big things.
Big goals are much easier to achieve because they transform your life. They give you something meaningful to strive for, and they help you to focus your attention on what’s truly important.
Think about where you want your law firm to be in the future and what you need to do to get there. Without this clarity, you’ll just be spinning your wheels and going nowhere.
How to Get Out of Your Law Firm’s Way
No matter how many of the challenges above you’re facing — or how many ways you’re guilty of getting in the way of your law firm’s growth — there is a path forward.
Here are a few proven strategies for getting your organization back on track and unlocking exponential growth.
Keep the Fire Burning
You cannot give up on your law firm — not now, not ever. Even when things are tough and you feel like you’re not making any progress, you must keep going to succeed.
You are never a failure until you quit.
Remember why you started your firm in the first place and keep that fire burning inside of you.
It’s also essential to keep your team motivated. If they see that you’re giving up, they will lose faith in the law firm and in you as their leader. Keep them in the loop, show them that you’re fully committed to your law firm’s success, and ignite the fire inside them as well.
Become a Lifelong Learner
It’s important to stay engaged with your law firm and to continually invest in your growth as its leader.
In essence, you must be a lifelong learner to maximize your chances for success.. Don’t just stick to the basics. Always look for new ways to improve your firm.
For example, attending the Game Changers Summit can give you a perfect opportunity to network with other growth-minded law firm owners, learn about the future of the legal industry, and master strategies for responding to the challenges you face as a leader.
Develop a Vision that Excites You
Having just a simple mission statement is not enough. You need to have a vision for your law firm that excites you and gets you out of bed in the morning.
Your vision should be something that drives you to continue working hard and overcoming obstacles. It should be something that inspires you and makes you want to be better.
If you’re not sure what your vision is, consider:
- What is it that you want to achieve with your law firm?
- What is it that you’re passionate about?
- What matters to you?
- What mark do you want to leave on your community and on the world?
Once you develop a compelling vision, you will have the needed clarity to create measurable goals and strategic action plans to help you achieve them.
Surround Yourself With A-Players
Another way to stay engaged is by surrounding yourself with those who lift you higher. Get out there and meet other law firm owners focused on growing their organizations. Attend events where like-minded leaders gather. Join relevant LinkedIn groups and other online communities where conversations you care about are happening.
Not only will this help you stay informed about the latest industry news, but you’ll also make valuable connections that could benefit your law firm down the road.
The Game Changers Summit is a perfect example. This November 2-3, thousands of forward-thinking law firm owners will gather on the field of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to discuss the latest innovations in the industry.
If you’re looking for an engaging and inspiring way to stay connected with the legal community and surround yourself with A-players shaping the future of the industry, this is it.
Join the Game Changers Summit
Succeeding in the competitive legal industry is no easy feat. But if you’re passionate about your work, have a clear vision, and surround yourself with the right people, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals.
Crisp Coach is one resource that can help you get started on the right foot.
It’s a closed-door community of the highest-performing law firms, and yours could join them.
Ensure that 2023 is your best year yet with the happiest clients, most accountable team members, and most streamlined operations. Apply today!
Final Thoughts
It can be hard to admit that we can be our own worst enemies at times. But only once we make that important realization can we make the changes necessary to get out of our own way.
By following the tips and tools listed in this article, you already have a leg up on your competition.
If you now see how you’re holding your law firm and yourself back, it’s time to make a change.
Are you going to get out of your own way?
