Summary: Attorneys need to have two traits to be successful, but most attorneys lack them without even realizing it.
Read Two Things the Most Successful 5% of Attorneys Do That the Rest Do Not to see the full article.
Attorneys can approach their career three ways, two of which will lead to an unsuccessful and unfulfilling career. Being strategic or tactful will prevent your legal career from leading to a future but being both will lead to a successful career as an attorney. Harrison Barnes explains what attorneys must do to maximize their potential as an attorney.
Read Being a Successful Attorney Takes More Than Just Hard Work to learn more.
Strategy requires being able to understand that you are supposed to do a job and do what is necessary to keep it. Not being able to understand the strategy that law firms operate under is dangerous for attorneys. Law firms are looking to bill as many hours as possible and to employ the best attorneys.
See Confidence Is the Number One Trait to Be Successful.
Tactical decisions involve putting in the time and effort to reap the rewards of a high salary later on in your career. Setting aside employment to find the dream job is not a smart choice for an attorney. They need to stay employed because putting in any time with a job is better than not having a job at all.
Read Attorneys Need Skill and Energy to Be Successful.
As Barnes says, “Strategy is the process of figuring out where you want to ultimately get in your career” while “tactics are the means by which you achieve your ultimate goal.” Strategic decisions therefore come before tactical decisions.
Photo: lawyerissues.com
