When you open your own law firm, especially when you’re starting out, two things generally happen. First, since you’ve never done this before, you’re going to be hungry and open to any input that promises to help you succeed. That input may include books, workshops, coaching, and advice from others in the field. Second, because you are so open, there will be a whole array of “armchair quarterbacks” in the wings who are all-too-eager to tell you what you should be doing, where you should put your focus, whom you should hire, what size your firm should be, and all the rest.
If that scenario hits close to home, let me clear some things up for you right now:
This is your law firm. No one else’s.
You are the visionary mind behind your firm, and you are the vision-keeper for the firm. No one else.
You alone have the power to decide the direction your firm will take, what you will do, and whom you will do it with. No one else.
Yes, I’m stating the obvious. But when you are inundated with voices from all directions who claim to know better, it’s easy to get lost in the midst. It’s easy to lose sight of your own priorities and sense of direction, not because everyone else knows better, but because you believe they know better. You doubt your own sensibilities because the other voices sound more confident than you.
But they don’t know better. You do.
You need to trust your own instincts. And you have the right to start and run this law firm on your terms.
Could you use some advice? Of course. Are there proven methods and pathways that will help you be successful? Absolutely. Is it smart to listen to those who have had success before you? You bet.
BUT…not at the expense of losing sight of your own vision or priorities. At the end of the day, this is still your law firm.
If you have felt lost among the voices lately, I’m giving you permission to take back your autonomy, to take back agency, to take back the power as the head visionary for your firm. Any input you receive, whether it’s blog posts, podcasts, how-to books, workshops or coaching (including mine)—all of it should be subject to your own sense of direction and what you want to achieve. You have the power and the right to accept or reject any advice, suggestion or method, based on whether you believe it will help you reach your goals. If a certain marketing technique isn’t right for you—toss it. If a certain method of office management doesn’t jibe with your workplace culture—ditch it. If you come across a growth technique or a piece of advice that fits you like a glove—run with it as if you thought of it.
Not only do you have the power to choose—you need the power to choose. If you lose your sense of vision amid all the clamoring voices, you won’t be able to tell which strategies will work for you and which will not, and the very advice intended to help you will leave you floundering.
So…take back the power today.
It’s your law firm. Take control of its destiny.
That is all.
