The subtitle of Maxwell’s book is “Follow Them, and People Will Follow You.”  Each time I read that, I hear a rejoinder in my head: “Don’t follow them, and people won’t follow you.” Revised and updated in 2007 for the 10th anniversary of The 21 Irrefutable Laws, this book is rightly regarded as a foundational [...]
How often have you heard (or perhaps even said) that only a select few lawyers are good rainmakers? I hear it all the time, and though I agree that not everyone can be a world-class rainmaker, just about every lawyer willing to put in the effort can learn to bring in business. A variety of [...]
The number one complaint by lawyers is they can’t find the time for rainmaking and new business development. But finding that time and knowing how to use it effectively is a vital requirement for successful practice development.
Don’t let this classic dilemma derail your success.Â
On May 27 and 28 at 2 PM ET, I’m hosting a free [...]
I occasionally talk with associates, in the first few years of practice ranging through senior associate levels, who tell me that they don’t need to pay attention to business development. The reasons vary. Some lawyers feel they’re “too new,” some don’t plan to make partner and think business development is therefore irrelevant for them, and [...]
I occasionally talk with associates, in the first few years of practice ranging through senior associate levels, who tell me that they don’t need to pay attention to business development. The reasons vary. Some lawyers feel they’re “too new,” some don’t plan to make partner and think business development is therefore irrelevant for them, and [...]
My home office in Atlanta is on a two-lane primary road just a few blocks from Emory University’s law school. Today is graduation, and since about 6:30 AM, I’ve been watching cars full of well-dressed people, taxis, chartered buses, and even limos drive by.  It’s quite the parade!  And in fact, today marks the 15th [...]
Pavlov’s dog had nothing on most BlackBerry/iPhone/BlackJack/other PDA users.Â
All too often, we (and I include myself) hear the “beep” or feel the vibration and pounce immediately, even in the middle of a sentence — our own or someone else’s. And I’ve seen (and though I’d prefer not to admit it, experienced) the discomfort that can [...]
Imagine, for a moment, a world in which a lawyer’s work and life are completely separate.
No, I’m serious. Pause and imagine it.
When I try to envision that world, I get deeply distressed. If work and life are separate, and if life has no part in work, what does that imply? Work = no life, and [...]
May 30, 2008 
