The keynote speech: value versus entertainment

Last week I was asked to give a presentation to associates at a large international law firm.  I suggested one of my favorite topics:  personal branding.   The partners were appreciative: “We’re sure you’ll be entertaining, informative, and motivating”.

As we discussed the details, they were enthused by my idea that each individual’s personal brand should incorporate the firm’s core values. Yet when I suggested taking a poll during the presentation to find out how many people could actually identify these values, and—still more crucially—how well individual firm members were delivering on those values, they lost their nerve.

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Powerful presence

In the current marketplace, where everyone is aiming for distinction, a powerful presence can be the decisive factor, effectively determining whether one gets the job, promotion, or client. A powerful presence can sometimes feel like an intangible gift that one can neither cultivate nor acquire: a combination of expertise, credibility, and confidence, all set-off by excellent communication skills.

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Use every communication to demonstrate your professional brand

As lawyers we communicate in a wide range of circumstances and with any number of methods. The thing to remember is that every single communication - answering the telephone, leaving a voicemail, or sending an email - conveys your brand. At the risk of stating the obvious, let me remind you of some simple truths.

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What distinguishes you from the competition?

Over the last few weeks, I have given various presentations to young lawyers about their career development. During the Q & A sessions, they have repetitively asked the same basic question: “How do I distinguish myself and get ahead?” So in my last presentation, I pre-empted the query by asking the audience what they thought was most important for success as a lawyer. Here’s their list:

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Practice makes perfect

I’ve recently reread Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, in which he examines the factors that contribute to high levels of success. One of these factors is what he calls the "10,000-Hour Rule", which means that the key to success (in most fields, even the law!) depends upon practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours.

This reminded me of my blog post from last week: Avoid Being All Things to All People. It takes discipline to become an expert (discipline to stay on track, and discipline to “say no” to the things that don’t support your goal or distinct personal brand).

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