I recently sat down with Michael Schniffer, a long-time business development coach, to discuss a topic that doesn’t get enough airtime: his work as a business development coach.
Business development is a persistent pain point for anyone in professional services, including lawyers. Many of us were the compliant kids at school, trained to deliver technical excellence and execute tasks well. Over time, though, business metrics take centre stage, and we hit a ceiling if we are not seen as capable of bringing in new work.
That’s usually when ‘selling’ gets conflated with business development - but they are definitely not the same.
In our podcast, we covered all things Business Development (BD), focusing on a recent book: The Activator Advantage (co-authored by Dixon, Channer, Freeman, and McKenna, published by Harvard Business Review Press in 2025). As you would expect from this publisher, it’s a rigorous, research-based book built on a survey of 3,000 Partners across various industries (the research comes from the Rainmaker Genome Project). The authors identify five distinct BD archetypes and concluded that one stood out for driving revenue: the activator.
The activator isn’t about personality (the myth of the extraverted rainmaker). It’s about approach, discipline, and mindset -grounded in three attributes:
Much of my coaching with emerging leaders' centres on developing this activator mindset. That often means tackling limiting beliefs - fear of rejection and perfectionism are the usual suspects in professional services.
We also discussed another book: Immunity to Change by Professor Robert Kegan. It’s a powerful lens on the hidden forces that hold us back (now on my reading list).
With the democratisation of expertise (as opposed to judgement) through AI and technology (sure, teething problems aside), human skills - and this mindset will only become more valuable.
As a profession, I don’t think we set up emerging leaders well in this space. We expect business development and leadership to be absorbed by osmosis, rather than developed deliberately as both an approach and a mindset.
That needs to change, and that’s where Michael’s work comes in.
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.
