The Secret to Success

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Hull and Hull LLP

Law, like any coin, or the law of nature itself, has two sides that are equal and opposing forces: The drive to be to be a noble profession and a successful business. Another simple truth is that opposites attract and, when co-existing in proper harmony, form an unstoppable and impenetrable force. 

Yesterday, I mentioned the five laws of stratospheric success. These laws are the theory of Bob Burg and John David Mann expressed in their best-selling book, The Go-Giver.  This little red book is a parable; a quick and enjoyable read. It won’t take much of your time to read it, but you just might spend the rest of your life applying it. 

The five laws are:

  1. The law of value – your worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment
  2. The law of compensation – your income is determined by how many you serve and how well you serve them
  3. The law of influence – your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other’s interests first
  4. The law of authenticity – the most valuable thing you have to offer is yourself
  5. The law of receptivity – the key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving

Creating opportunities in one’s career is a concept that has been scientifically studied and reported in educational journals. Scholarly publications on serendipity, synchronicity, and happenstance, all attest to the theory that one’s career development is not linear, progressive, and rational. Career destiny cannot be predicted in advance. Rather, it is a function of the beneficial, unplanned and unanticipated events, opportunities and learning experiences that are generated by one’s actions. 

How then, as lawyers, do we reconcile our need for certainty and control with the thought that our careers are at the mercy of the fickle finger of fate? In considering this theory, it is important to note that we always have control over our actions and choices, which in turn determine our professional experiences and opportunities. This is not just dumb luck.

I have had the privilege of speaking with many successful lawyers over the years and what they all have in common is that they have all instinctively applied the five laws and have invariably experienced the power of happenstance in their careers. 

Once such successful person is Chief Justice Warren Winkler of the Ontario Court of Appeal, with whom I have recently had the pleasure of speaking about how one becomes successful in the legal profession. If you are interested in hearing his thoughts on this topic first hand, you can do so on March 30, 2011 at a special event being held by WLAO. 

Sharon Davis - Click here for more information on Sharon Davis.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Law - A Profession or a Business?

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Hull and Hull LLP

There is a big difference between a profession and a business – or is there? Traditionally, lawyers have been taught to believe that law is a profession, not a business. The majority of us do what we do (partly or only) because we want to help people, to make a difference. 

I heard exactly this at the recent tribute to the life of one of Ontario’s more extraordinary lawyers, Laura Louise Legge, held by the Law Society of Upper Canada. Mrs. Legge, who passed away on October 5, 2010, was LSUC’s first female bencher and first female treasurer. Mrs. Legge was a brilliant woman loved and respected by all who knew her. Those who spoke recounted the story of her amazing personal and professional accomplishments. Her rich life was marked by generosity and appreciation of the needs of others. 

If, as Mrs. Legge has been heard to say, you don’t get into law to make money, but to help others, then how do we reconcile this with the need to be profitable enough to keep your doors open to those who need you? In recent (precarious) economic times we have learned that you cannot practice your profession unless you effectively run your business. The practice of law is just not the same as it was in 1948, when Mrs. Legge was called to the bar, or even 1983, when she first became treasurer of LSUC. We now live in the competitive internet age where not only access to information, but access to a wide variety of professionals, is just a click away. 

Of course, all of this begs the question of whether one can make a success of oneself while putting others’ needs and interests ahead of their own. I suggest that not only can it be done, it must be done if one is to achieve extraordinary success of the kind achieved by Mrs. Legge. In fact, it is the first of the five laws of stratospheric success. Tomorrow, I will discuss these five laws and the theory behind them as related to success in law. I’ll bet that you are just a little bit curious…..

Sharon Davis - Click here for more information on Sharon Davis.

Tags: , , , , , ,