Much of my coaching work is focused on newly promoted leaders in law.
It is rewarding to help professionals make the transition from individual contributor/technician to taking on the additional challenge of people, client and business leadership.
It was the theme of transition that came through strongly in my recent Resolution Room conversation with Joanna Wong, formerly a marketing exec of Spotify and Meta, and now a Career Adviser and Coach.
We discussed some of the familiar challenges that emerge in many transitions. Here are some common themes:
Just to varying degrees.
Taking on a new role inevitably involves uncertainty. In fact, a complete absence of imposter syndrome might be concerning - potentially pointing to some lack of insight into the complexity of any new role.
The challenge isn’t eliminating imposter syndrome - it's learning to operate effectively despite it.
In fact, I would suggest you don't try to be.
It’s tempting to recruit people who think and operate like you (I certainly made that mistake). But we all appreciate that the strongest teams have people with different strengths, perspectives and experiences.
Your job is not to have the answers (in which case, you also run the risk of becoming the bottleneck) - your job Is now to bring out the best in others.
This is one of the biggest issues I see in my coaching work with lawyers who have been promoted.
Lawyers are often promoted because they have a good track record in terms of the client work. They then take on leadership responsibility and try to keep doing exactly the same thing - whilst adding leadership on top.
It doesn’t work.
Sure, a Partner still needs to operate at a strategic level in terms of undertaking the client work and ensuring market credibility. That said, necessarily, a Partner needs to shift their focus to project management of the client(s) work, strategy, people, culture, client development and the broader business imperatives.
This invariably means letting go of some of what made you successful in the first place. An uncomfortable proposition.
Put simply, if you keep doing your old job, you don’t leave enough room to do your new one.
A new leadership role is also a good time to think about your personal brand - another focus of my coaching work.
What matters to you? What do you want to be known for? And what does the market need to know about you (your expertise and approach) now that your role has changed?
As Joanna and I discussed, leadership always involves a dual question of both credibility and visibility. Don't be anything that you are not, but equally it is naive to think that you also don't need to be intentional about your broader visibility (both within the firm and externally).
These issues were discussed with Joanna and also commonly emerge in my coaching work with emerging leaders - you can listen to my conversation with Joanna Wong on The Resolution Room.
I regularly share short insights on mediation, negotiation and all things leadership. From how to optimise success in negotiations, to the skillset required to sustain high team performance and promote resilience. I share these video reflections, drawing from my experience both as a former leader in professional services and now as a mediator and leadership coach.
"Damien is an incredible Mediator. He is experienced, is always across the brief and has a depth of legal knowledge that can assist the parties to navigate even the most complex issues to reach a resolution. Damien is my first choice for any Mediation, especially for vulnerable plaintiff’s feeling overwhelmed by the process as they are immediately comforted by his affable and empathetic nature.”
Damien was engaged as an Executive Coach in our business to navigate a half-decade of poor habits, realign our leadership team and position us for a strategic exit.Facilitating an executive workshop was instrumental in resolving internal conflicts and realigning us to a collective focus on future opportunities.
I have especially appreciated your logical and calm approach to problem solving, and I have valued your methodical and composed demeanour in tackling complex issues. You have not only equipped me with effective strategies but also instilled a sense of confidence and clarity in my own decision making processes.
