Elevating as a Leader: Making a Triumphant Transition at Your Law Firm

In this program, S. Scott Mason, Transformational Coach for Attorneys, delves into the perilous journey of top attorneys transitioning into leadership roles – whether as the head of a practice group, owner of a fast-growing small firm, or chief of an in-house legal department – shedding light on the exceptional professional risks involved when that transition happens.

This program not only identifies the challenges but also presents an innovative and effective process to minimize these risks, enabling any attorney to elevate their legal career and enhance their team's performance.

The processes and steps the program provides can help ensure that, as any lawyer climbs up a firm’s or company’s org chart, the big leap forward won’t be the last. This program is an indispensable resource for aspiring law firm and legal unit leaders, equipping them to navigate the intricate leadership path with confidence and success.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the limitations of skills acquired in law school and legal practice when it comes to team and executive leadership, and recognize instances where these skills may conflict with effective leadership principles.
Differentiate between the dynamics of risk in legal practice and those in organizational leadership, gaining insights into how to navigate and mitigate risks in a leadership role.
Develop a comprehensive plan to enhance your leadership capabilities, equipping you with the necessary tools and strategies to succeed in leadership roles.
Understand leadership as an ongoing professional development pathway, so that default modes of behavior do not recur and sabotage team performance.

Topics covered include:

Professional Development Law Firm Management Law Practice

Agenda:

Introduction
- Why this course matters and who it’s for
Executive Skills vs. Legal Skills

Risk Dynamics: Legal Practice & Legal Leadership
- How they are the same; how they differ
- Managing risk as a leader
Navigating Your Transition Into Leadership
- Personal myths; professional outcomes
- Five toxic myths
- How to obliterate your toxic myths
- Planning to build leadership strength
- Accountability (& the role of blame)
Ethical Considerations

Key Takeaways

Questions & Answers

Duration of this webinar: 60 minutes

Originally broadcast: September 10, 2024 11:00 AM PT

Webinar Highlights

This webinar is divided into section summaries, which you can scan for key points and then dive into the sections that interest you the most.

00:00 Introduction

Scott Mason, an attorney and leadership coach, will discuss transitioning from a sole contributor to a leader. Scott emphasizes that the skills required for leadership are distinct from those used in legal practice, such as issue spotting and legal writing. Scott discusses the misconception that being a good lawyer automatically qualifies one for leadership roles. He explains that this assumption can lead to professional issues, such as career derailment and reputational damage.

10:48 Executive Leadership Skills vs. Legal Skills

Scott explains that legal practice is rooted in knowledge, while leadership requires wisdom. Executive leadership skills include innovation, adaptability, and team building, as well as strategic thinking and visioning. Scott highlights the importance of a big-picture mindset and the ability to achieve measurable results in leadership roles. He contrasts the adversarial nature of legal practice with the collaborative mindset needed for executive leadership.

21:52 Managing Risk in Leadership

Scott discusses the different approaches to risk management between lawyers and executive leaders. Lawyers tend to operate defensively, focusing on short-term issues and attention to detail. In contrast, executive leaders focus on long-term goals and view risk as one of many factors affecting business decisions. Scott emphasizes the importance of strategic thinking and the need to balance risk aversion with bold decision-making. He advises leaders to surround themselves with diverse perspectives on risk to enhance decision-making. Scott warns against the dangers of excessive risk aversion, which can hinder leadership effectiveness.

37:02 Overcoming Toxic Myths and Developing Leadership Skills

Scott identifies five toxic myths that can hinder leadership development: the tragic origin myth, the social myth, the ritual myth, the underworld myth, and the doomsday myth. These myths can lead to problems like inauthenticity, lack of adaptability, toxic environments, and fear of failure. Scott emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing these myths to foster personal growth and effective leadership. He advises doing a leadership strength self-diagnostic and a leadership growth self-diagnostic. Scott discusses the importance of choosing accountability over blame in leadership roles. He explains that a culture of accountability encourages learning from mistakes and fosters successful leadership. He highlights the strategic thinking skills lawyers bring to leadership roles and the need to focus on purpose and values.

56:44 Ethical Considerations and Key Takeaways

Scott discusses the importance of ethical considerations when transitioning into leadership roles. He advises leaders to adhere to ethical obligations, such as confidentiality and conflict of interest rules. Scott concludes with key takeaways from the presentation and urges viewers to reach out to him for more insights. He answers questions from the audience, such as how approaches to leadership may differ in various settings and how to assess whether you're ready to take a leadership role.

Please note this AI-generated summary provides a general overview of the webinar but may not capture all details, nuances, or the exact words of the speaker. For complete accuracy, please refer to the original webinar recording.

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits

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California CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: June 30, 2026

South Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 General

Difficulty: All Levels

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2025

North Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: February 28, 2026

This presentation is approved for one hour of General CLE credit in California, South Carolina (all levels), and North Carolina.

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Speaker

Scott Mason Executive Leadership Coach

Scott Mason is the Myth Slayer: an attorney and transformational executive leadership coach for lawyers looking to uplevel their careers or leadership skill — and have a future that is epic. Based on his trailblazing signature framework, Scott will help you or the leaders in your firm/organization become:

More connected to themselves, each other, and your mission.
Creative — leading to innovation and consistent achievement of organizational goals.
Resilient, especially when times are tough.