The third of the Five Factors that distinguish highly successful attorneys is that they are continual learners. Continually learning and seeking mastery are common practices of high achievers across all fields of endeavor. That is not a surprise. Now-retired defense secretary Jim Mattis, known for being a prolific reader and for his personal library …
Category: Uncategorized
The gift of stopping.
I was away from work and writing for the past several days to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. My parents were able to celebrate in their own home with all three of their children and all of their grandchildren. Having everyone together is a rarity for our family. I suspect that's the same for …
Being steady.
Much has been written about "work-life balance" and the need for more of it, particularly among attorneys. Regrettably, the phrase often generates a negative reaction. Resistance to the notion of work-life balance is often generational. Newer lawyers crave balance and time away from the office. Seasoned lawyers, with years of hard work under their belts, …
Grounded.
Like a sailboat keel, our grounding is our point of stability as we navigate the waters of life both personally and professionally. Without it, we are adrift.
Jumping into the “Five Factors” with both feet.
Over the past month, I've been fortunate to spend time with bar leaders from across Montana and across the country speaking about what I call the "Five Factors for Legal Leaders." These speaking engagements are a further development of my earlier blog post and Montana Lawyer article on the ways of living that distinguish successful …
Continue reading Jumping into the “Five Factors” with both feet.
Focus shift: What can we learn from healthy, satisfied attorneys?
Pick up any bar journal in America and you will surely find an article on attorney wellness and well-being. The topic is, of necessity, a timely one. In the years since the 2016 landmark study from the American Bar Association and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation concluded that overwhelming numbers of lawyers were suffering from …
Continue reading Focus shift: What can we learn from healthy, satisfied attorneys?
Summer.
Hey Gang. You may have noticed that I took a little break from posting over the summer to spend some time with family, traveling (who knew "Superman" ice cream in Michigan was a thing?), sailing and otherwise recharging for the coming academic year at my day job. Hard to believe that it all starts again …
A tale of two hotels.
To live is to be forced to confront the reality of negative people. To live more fully is to learn to overcome this and other negativity in our lives. This is not some Hobbesian view of our brief time here on this planet, but an acknowledgment that life will involve challenges, sometimes as a result …
Thoughts from 33,000 feet: Time and meaning.
Winging my way around the country again this week has me thinking about being away from family and friends, the time many of us spend on the road (or at the office) and the hope we all harbor that the work we do matters. I have no complaints and I am fortunate to do work …
Continue reading Thoughts from 33,000 feet: Time and meaning.
Let’s change the way we talk.
Thoughts from 33,000 feet for this Wednesday from somewhere over the Midwest. This morning I woke up and repeated a routine I've been doing at least several times a year since 1989 - I boarded a plane for the early flight from Missoula to Minneapolis and then on to what was then Washington National, now …
Life at the Peak* 