If you’ve been a part of my journey through the years, you know that I’m passionate about law and activism. I believe the two go hand in hand. We can use the law to help make the world a better place.
Of course, part of that is through litigation, but another part of it is being a leader in the law community. That’s what I had the opportunity to discuss with Sigalle Barness, the host of Lawyers Who Lead,the official Lawline Podcast.
Leadership in the Law
The biggest key to being a leader is to understand yourself. Lead yourself toward your goals. So many of us - myself included - can fall into the trap of simply going with whatever is happening around us. It’s human nature to avoid rocking the boat. Unfortunately, that can and does lead to us not following our own passions.
There was a time when I just wasn’t comfortable being my authentic self. There are so many self-confidence pitfalls out there, and it’s easy to step into any or all of them. In fact, most of us do at one point or another. Eventually, however, I had to realize that avoiding making waves kept me from being the leader that I wanted to be.
Be Yourself No Matter What
One of the most important things I covered with Sigalle was the importance of being your real, authentic self. For me, this topic ties directly into leadership. If you can’t marshall your own internal spirit, how can you effectively motivate others toward change?
Over the years, I’ve learned never to hide parts of myself. I’ve learned that it’s okay - it’s even imperative - to say what you really want. No one can read your mind, and you should never assume you know what they’re thinking, either. It all adds up to this one simple fact: never make yourself small. So many of us do that, even in professions like the law where we’re all perceived to be so confident.
Leadership and More with Lawyers Who Lead
Over my time with Sigalle on Lawyers Who Lead, we talked about being our true selves and so much more. Whether you’re a lawyer or just someone who wants to be the best version of themselves starting from the inside, I encourage you to give a listen to my episode and all the other episodes of Lawyers Who Lead.