Survival Skills for Attorneys

Just as in the wilderness, where skills such as building a fire are needed to survive, an attorney managing a law office needs essential leadership skills to survive! This practical, yet powerful training series is packed with adventurous experiential learning activities that bring training to life. It empowers attorneys with the tools they need to enrich their work experience, to increase influence within the law office, to strengthen teams, and to free up time needed to focus on accomplishing the attorney’s noble mission.

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Leadership Survival Skills for Attorneys Topics

• Uh Oh, I’m a Leader:  An Introduction to Leadership Development for Attorneys
• Maintaining & Building Trust in the Law Office
• Keeping Motivated & Motivating Others
• Team Building for Attorneys
• Delegation for Attorneys
• Effective Communication
• Conflict Management
• Goal Setting and Action Planning

Potential Benefits of Leadership Development for Attorneys

• Increased confidence
• Improved results
• Better relationships at work
• Increased contributions to team goals
• Increased satisfaction from the work itself
• Recognition that can accompany better performance
• Possible new opportunities
• More control over outcomes
• Expanded influence in the lives of others

Course Descriptions

Uh oh, I’m a Leader:  An Introduction to Leadership Development for Attorneys

Participants explore the characteristics of a great leader and the connection between a leader’s actions and the success of an organization. No matter whether they are the founder of the law office, an aspiring partner, or a new attorney working in a firm, their actions have an impact on the law office’s results.  Participants consider how leaders are developed. Are they born great leaders or are they made? They identify personal leadership strengths and development needs, examine barriers to their development, and find solutions for overcoming perceived challenges.

Maintaining or Building Trust in the Law Office

The success of a law office is often linked to the trust that its clients have in its attorneys or it’s brand.  Trust is also the very foundation of leadership.  This is why it is important for current and future leaders of the law office to understand the link between their actions and whether people trust them.  People who lack the trust of others cannot truly lead.  They can only manage others by virtue of their formal authority or title.  To build real trust, leaders must be able to trust others and also be trusted.  Participating attorneys discover strategies for maintaining and building trust that will help them to increase their level of influence, persuasiveness, and credibility at work; but first they must survive the “Himalayan Trail.”

Motivating Yourself & Others

Like water in the wilderness, the ability to motivate others is a leadership essential in the workplace.  Yet, in order to motivate others, leaders must first be motivated.  Participants consider their own motivation level within the law office and compare how others may perceive their motivation level based on their actions. Participants discover ways to maintain or increase their own motivation level, should they need it.  Participating attorneys explore tried and true strategies for motivating others, and bust a few myths about motivation along the way.

Team Building for Attorneys

Some challenges are only solved through interdependence, not rugged independence; it takes a team! Participants explore the four phases of team development and discover actions that they can take to move teams beyond each phase more efficiently, even when they are not in charge.   Team games spark discussion about the dynamics and behaviors of highly effective teams.  Each participant is given a “Team Compass” to help their teams to find direction, reach goals or to get back on the trail.

Delegation for Attorneys

Delegating is one of the most powerful leadership skills known to man.  Delegation is also deceptively simple.  To many it is simply giving someone else something to do.  However, when it comes to delegating legal work, there is more than meets the eye.  Participants explore the benefits of delegation in the law office and reasons why we fail to delegate, even though the benefits are so great.  Delegation has the power to develop others and to ready the next generation for a leadership role within the firm.  Participants learn five steps that can reduce the risk involved when letting go and potential conflict caused by ineffective delegation.

Effective Communication

How a leader communicates is just as important as what he or she communicates.  A balanced communication style is a key to success. If a leader is overly assertive or passive, he or she risks losing influence in the law office.  Through self-reflection and exploration, participants discover how a balanced communication style can maximize their level of influence and persuasiveness in the firm and beyond.

Conflict Management

Conflict is like fire.  It is necessary but dangerous.  It can be extinguished or spread.  Conflict is also a reality in our lives and in every law office.  Leaders must learn to anticipate and manage fire, rather than escalate or ignore it. Through role-playing, participating attorneys learn the techniques for managing conflict, which has the power to enhance work satisfaction, increase confidence, reduce stress, and improve results.

Goal Setting for Building Influence

Goal setting is critically important to leadership development.  Participants reflect on leadership survival skills they have learned and determine which skills are critical to surviving and thriving in their law office.  What would make the most difference in their experience?  Which skill would help them gain the most influence in the firm? Participants explore the benefits of goal setting and the potential barriers to their growth.  Each participant develops and shares his or her plan of action.

Leadership Survival Skills for Attorneys – 2 Day Course

Day 1

• Uh Oh, I’m a Leader:  An Introduction to Leadership Development for Attorneys
• Maintaining & Building Trust in the Law Office
• Keeping Motivated & Motivating Others
• Team Building for Attorneys

Day 2

• Delegating Skills for Attorneys
• Effective Communication for Attorneys
• Conflict Management
• Goal Setting for Building Influence