Posted on November 06, 2012 by Cynthia Pladziewicz

Mentoring Young Lawyers to Aspire for More: Creating a Culture Where Talented Lawyers Thrive

shutterstock_79582357.jpgJohn Duffy, the CEO of 3C Interactive thinks leaders need to spend less time inspiring and more time creating aspirations in the employees they lead.  Duffy has a great point. Inspiration is fleeting, aspirations stick. 

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot from my law firm clients about newer lawyers’ lowered aspirations to succeed at the firm. Firm leaders worry about retaining the talented associates they have worked so hard to recruit. They perceive less long-term commitment. 

Newer lawyers tell me they are less hopeful about their chances for happiness and success at their firm. Many have little desire for partnership, which they view as unattractive, unattainable, or both.  

That’s why John Duffy’s New York Times interview caught my attention.  In the interview, Duffy lays out how he created a culture of respect and growth at 3C. He nails it and his advice is universal. 

As a law firm leader or mentor, here’s how you can apply Duffy’s advice to mentoring and developing the young lawyers you lead: 

  1. Help them understand they have an impact on the firm and it's people (and make sure your culture affords them the opportunity to have an impact).
  2. Show them how they can develop personally and professionally by seeking exposure to new experiences, asking questions and building skills in planning, problem solving and decision-making. 
  3. Mentor and lead with consistency, being the same person each day. No one should have to worry about which version of you they are approaching at any given moment.
  4. Emphasize the importance of being “coachable.” Duffy attributes his success to early experiences in sports where he sought “to be the dumbest, poorest, least successful guy in the room so I can learn what I have to do.” There is a lot to be said for being surrounded by people who know more than you. Yet for many young lawyers, your firm may be the first place where they have not been one of the smartest and most successful for any extended period of time.  Remember how that felt for you and help them appreciate the learning they will get. 
  5. Foster a culture of respect and safety where gossip and disrespect of others at any level is not tolerated. Does your firm tolerate disrespect and misbehavior by lawyers in power? 
  6. Let them know how they are doing when they are “awesome” and when “they mess it up.” Without yelling or screaming, let the young lawyer who "screws up" know what your expectation was and what they missed. Then ask this question: “What do you think you need to do to get better so this doesn’t happen again?”
  7. Tie progression and success at the firm to each attorney’s personal long-term objectives. Hint:  you cannot do this if you do not know what your mentee’s personal long-term objectives are. Take the time to really listen and understand and you may end up retaining them.

What would you add to Duffy’s advice?  How does your firm's culture measure up?

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Cynthia Pladziewicz

Changing the Boardroom One Awesome Woman at a Time

melisa%20denis-1.pngThis morning I received another email from Melisa Denis, Senior Partner at KPMG and President of The Board Connection. It struck me that I've been getting these emails for two years now, week in and week out without fail. They start with a heading such as "New Board Opportunity-Global Glassware Company" and are followed by Melisa's request to "contact me if you have the required credentials." Many of the opportunities come through her fellow visionaries at the fifteen regional groups (such as The Board Connection) who comprise a network called InterOrganization Network (ION).

This morning I responded to Melisa's email and thanked her. I just can't believe how consistently committed she is. Her reply: "Changing the boardroom one awesome woman at a time." 

Here's the other part that inspires me. Melisa's passion is not about her personal ambitions. As a Partner at KPMG, Melisa can't serve as an outside director on a public corporate board. What I've noticed though is that in her life and in her work she is fueled by a strong system of beliefs and values. One of her core beliefs is that diversity matters to all of us.  She says: 

On any board of directors, if you can only fill the room with people who think like you, how can you get the best result for customers, shareholders, and everyone in between?  Women think differently,--That difference adds value.  It is that diversity that makes a board stronger.

So this morning I would like to help find find a few more awesome women. Do you know any? Perhaps you?

If so, check out The ION website to learn more about the whys and hows of corporate board membership and how to join with Melisa and men and women like her across the country.  They are changing the boardroom-- one awesome woman at a time.  

Posted on May 08, 2012 by Cynthia Pladziewicz

Leading From Your Strengths

rocky steps.jpgIn two weeks I'm headed to Philadelphia to speak to the Philadelphia Bar Association's Women in the Profession Committee and to the Professional Development Consortium Philadelphia City Group.  We will be talking about how to leverage personal strengths to lead effectively and to find more fulfilment and happiness at work.  While there are many ways to identify your top strengths, my "go to" assessment is the Clifton Strengthsfinder™.  
Here's why I love it so much:
  • It is highly validated and researched. The Strengthsfinder assessment is owned by Gallup, the polling people. Over 10,000,000 people have taken the assessment and all the results are in one database. For that reason this is one of the best researched assessments out there. So even though you can buy this assessment for the price of a book, about $20, I find it more useful than many assessments that cost much more.
  • Each profile is unique:  The odds of 2 people having the same profile are 1 in 3,000,000.  That may be why the results usually resonate so strongly with my coaching and consulting clients.  
  • It's all about the good stuff:  This assessment tells you where are you especially strong.  It does not tell you your weaknesses. Of course, everyone's greatest strengths can be overused. That's why the reports contain some great learning around how not to do too much of a good thing.  
  • And the good stuff is really what matters most.  The researchers at Gallup have found that there is no particular set of strengths that make people successful; rather, the secret is knowing what your strengths are, using them as much as possible in your work, and delegating to, or partnering with, others who have needed strengths that you do not. There are actually people out there who love to do what you loathe. It made me very happy (and it made my assistant happy too) when I first discovered that. It turns out that she loved doing things that I hated to do and vice versa. So until I realized that, I was periodically "rewarding" her by giving her projects I would love, but that made her climb the walls. Taking the assessment put the kibosh on that and we were both much happier. 
  • By sharing their strengths profiles with each other, people who will be working together over time really get to know, understand and appreciate each other much more quickly than they would otherwise. 
  • For many, knowing your strengths makes you feel good about who you are, more self accepting and confident.  
How to take the assessment:
  • Buy a book that contains a code for the Strengthsfinder ™  assessment.  
  • Click this link to see the books that contain the code. You can also buy a copy on Amazon for Kindle and get a code emailed to you immediately (for those of you who do not count patience among your strengths).  
  • Once you have a code, do the following:
    • Go to the Strengthsfinder website
    • Click the appropriate box based on the book you purchased
    • Click "enter your access code"
    • Fill out the registration and click submit
    • Follow the remaining instructions
    • Be sure to download the PDF report from Gallup and to use the "Ideas for Action"

Photo by skinnylawyer

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Cynthia Pladziewicz

What Elephants are Roaming Through Your Organization?

ele.pngWhat do you need to be talking about in your organization that is only discussed behind closed doors? Last week I attended the Power of Self Leadership program and participated in an exercise called "Naming Elephants" based on the book of the same name. You've likely heard the saying that "there is an elephant in the middle of the room and no one is talking about it." The elephant is the obvious problem that we all know exists, yet don't mention, often because we fear retribution or embarrassment.  

Some common elephants:

  1. It becomes normal to deviate from the rules.  Everyone knows the meeting starts 10 minutes late. The deadline is not the real deadline. It's ok to run over budget; in fact it's good. You will get more money next year!
  2. Not walking the talk. A leader says that he values all opinions, but tunes out or retaliates when an opposing view is expressed.
  3. Arrogance becomes the norm.  The company has a policy about expenses.  Some adhere; others do not. Leaders claim a high level of ethics, but accept perks from vendors.   
  4. Clever talk is valued over action. The "game" in the organization is to sound smart, tear down other's ideas, use the biggest words. Results are underappreciated.
  5. The system is broken. Top leadership does not set the vision or micromanages rather than developing managers. Those whose job it is to serve customers, don't know what to do. Middle managers are pulled in multiple directions, accomplishing little.

What elephants roam your organization?  Here's a hint, what do people talk about behind closed doors? In the coffee room? On texts or emails during a meeting? Leave a comment or drop me a note. I would love to hear from you and share some common elephants on a future post.

 

 

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Cynthia Pladziewicz

Do Women Wait Too Long Before Claiming Power?

shoes.jpg

Do women handle recognition and power differently than men?

In a recent interview, Karen Moses, Chief Operating Officer of Australia's Origin Energy put it this way:  

The key difference I see between men and women at work is that the men are prepared to demand to be heard and recognized before they have demonstrated their worth.  Women wait to be recognized well past the time when their value is clear to everyone around them.  
I encourage women to accept that they have an equal right to be there, to recognize the value of their contribution and to not apologize for their difference.  

Moses really hits it on the head.  Women on the whole undervalue their contributions and are more likely to stand back and wait for someone (often a male leader) to recognize them.  Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, we valiantly lead and encourage our peers, craft novel solutions to all sorts of dilemnas, bravely take on flying monkeys and witches, yet wait for the man behind the curtain to “grant” us the power that we carried inside us from the very beginning.  


Why is it that women hold back?  Do we avoid, fear, even disdain power?  In her book Powering Up, Anne Doyle quotes Kim Campbell, former prime minister of Canada and a woman with a great attitude towards power: 

 

I love power.  I want it.  I'm power hungry. Not for myself but because when I have power I can accomplish things.  I can serve my community, I can help open doors for deserving people and I can influence decisions.  If you think you would exercise it ethically, don’t disdain power.  You must embrace it as the essential currency for making things happen.”

Put that way, embracing power seems much more authentic and congruent with my values.  What do you think?

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Cynthia Pladziewicz

A Landmaam and an Engineer: Investing in the Next Generation of Women Leaders

g2e22e20000000000004e0fee540c16331dc1fe07fe94f803649f5d30c1.jpgRecently I spoke to an impressive group of women leaders attending the Women's Energy Network North Texas leadership conference.  As I looked out on this successful group of women, I couldn't help but think how proud June Brooks (pictured here) would have been.  I was privileged to know Mrs. Brooks in the 1970's when I was a young woman coming of age in the oil patch town of Ardmore, Oklahoma.   An accomplished speaker who proudly introduced herself as a "landmaam," she was the only woman delegate to the World Petroleum Congress held in Tokyo in 1975.  For those not familiar with the term, a landman refers to men and women who handle the business end of oil, gas and mineral production. In the 1970's, most landmen were in fact men. So back then knowing a landmaam, much less one who had travelled from Ardmore all the way to Japan, was important to aspiring young women like me.  

Today, more women have entered the energy industry, but few hold top leadership positions. That's why it mattered deeply that Lisa Stewart gave a good part of her day to speak to the Women's Energy Network leadership group. Stewart, a petroleum engineer by training, Founder and CEO of Sheridan Production Partners and former President of El Paso Exploration & Production, spoke with wisdom, humility, humor and grace. (How could you expect anything less from a woman who named her company after her yellow labrador retriever?) But what mattered more than her words was her presence.  This is a woman who has a lot on her mind at the moment, including how to invest almost $3 billion in capital.  She could have met with the group by video conference or rushed in and out.  But she didn't do that.  So her presence sent a message that was more important than any words she, or those of us following her at the podium, could express:

You can do it.  Your leadership matters.  You are someone I'm willing to invest in.

Really the same message June Brooks sent back in 1975. 

So thanks to June Brooks and thanks to Lisa Stewart.  I think your investment is going to pay off.  

 

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Cynthia Pladziewicz

Women Lawyers: So many achievers, where are the leaders?

AnneDoyle5_72.jpgAnne Doyle, author of Powering Up, a new field guide for women leaders, asks:  

So many achievers, where are the leaders?

Her question is particularly relevant for women lawyers. In a nation where women have comprised half of law school graduates for the past 10 years, a percentage that has steadily increased from 35% in 1985, how is it that so few women fill leadership positions in law firms, industry and government? A recent survey by the National Association of Women Lawyers revealed that only 15% of equity partners in America's largest law firms are women, a number that has changed very little over the past five years. And, according to the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, only one in five Fortune 500 General Counsel is a woman. Women comprise half of American voting public, yet women comprise less then 18% of the U.S. Congress.

At a reception sponsored by Marsha Clark, former President of EDS's health care unit, I joined a group of men and women leaders who gathered to discuss these questions with Doyle, a Hall of Fame sports journalist and former auto industry leader. When it comes to moving from achiever to leader, Doyle speaks from experience. Today women sports broadcasters are commonplace, but when Doyle entered the profession, some sports teams threatened to close locker rooms to reporters altogether rather than admitting her.  Doyle persevered, succeeded and now shares her own insights and those of over 125 women leaders she interviewed for her book.

How do women achievers become leaders?  Doyle's research suggests seven components:

  1. Discover your purpose.  Know who you are, whom and what you care about deeply and lead from that awareness.
  2. Raise your voice. Get past your fears, especially of criticism from others, polish up your communications skills and share your vision.
  3. Break the rules.  Doyle says that women leaders break the rules, but they do that with skill and knowledge.  
  4. Claim power.  Don't wait for someone to give you power.  You have to claim it.
  5. Drink at dangerous waters. Travel, spend time with diverse people, interact with your rivals and take risks.  According to Doyle, it is in these "dangerous waters" that leadership is forged.
  6. Get back in the saddle.  Welcome and learn from setbacks and keep moving.
  7. Embrace the strength of your "womaninity."  To fully understand this concept, you need to read the book.  But here's the gist:  Effective women leaders don't try to be one of the guys. Rather they "relax into their own skin" and bring to the leadership table their unique skills and strengths. They often approach things differently than the guys would, but are equally or more effective.  

Why is it important for women to lead?  Doyle says "size matters."  Citing a 2009 report published by Ernst & Young, Doyle reminds us that when female leadership reaches a critical mass in an organization, specifically one-third of the highest level leaders, bottom line performance increases significantly.  For the typical law firm management committee, that translates to 3 to 4 women members.

Doyle closes her book with a quote from poet and author Maya Angelou that pretty much sums it all up:

If you're born a girl, grow up and live long enough, you can become an old female.  But to become a woman is a serious matter.  A woman takes responsibility for the time she takes up and the space she occupies.

Maya Angelou

If your firm or organization has more than one-third women in top leadership positions, I would love to feature you in my blog and share with others what your experience has been.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Cynthia Pladziewicz

Want great leadership? You get what you pay for.

W2.jpgAre you tired of starting new initiatives only to see them fall by the wayside?  Perhaps it is because you are asking for one thing but rewarding another when compensation time rolls around.  

Leadership expert Pat Asp says that the reality is you get exactly what you pay for.  Want diversity, loyal employees, happy clients, a harassment- and jerk- free work place?  (By the way, many of these "soft" concepts correlate to long-term economic success and sustainability for your organization).  Then according to Asp, you must reward behaviors that achieve just that:

If you put in on their W-2s, their hearts and minds will follow.

Asp should know.  She led business units of over 1000 employees and $300 million in revenues and served as Senior Vice President Strategic Management and Performance at The ServiceMaster Company.  Asp points to other proven methods for sustaining the workplace culture you value and making the message stick:

  1. Monitor and measure results and performance.  
  2. In meetings and communications where you share metrics, the metrics you use to measure the initiative must be kept in proportionate importance to other business metrics.  The agenda spot where you put the metrics for diversity, employee turnover, client satisfaction, or anything else you say you value, sends a bold message about how you really feel.
  3. When senior leaders (even the CEO and Board) don't walk the walk, you must address the gaps EVEN IF THEY ARE PERFORMING WELL ON THE OTHER METRICS (for example, generating profits).
Posted on February 28, 2011 by Cynthia Pladziewicz

Three Questions Every Leader Should Ask

Leadership Photo.jpgDr. Dale Thompson and his team at Leadership Worth Following study leaders--more specifically “worthy” leaders, those who “guide, direct, or influence people in a way that has great merit, character and value.” 

Dale’s team identified three key characteristics shared by worthy leaders:

  1. Capacity to Lead-the knowledge, skills, acumen and vision to lead
  2. Commitment to Lead –the desire to lead
  3. Character to Lead-actually leading with integrity, courage and humility when the going gets tough and no one is looking

As you decide to take on, or continue in, a leadership position, start with these 3 questions: 

  1. Can I do it?  Is this a leadership position I can do well?  Do I have the needed decision-making skills, legal and business knowledge?  Do I have the energy and adaptability to stay the course? 
  2. Do I want it?  Am I passionate about this undertaking and achieving great results for the group?  Do I strongly want success for this group?  Am I willing to build and develop the people in the group?  Am I committed to my own personal growth in the process?  Am I committed to the firm, my group members and my clients?  Do I want success and excellence enough to make the commitment that is required?
  3. Will I behave with character when the going gets tough?  Is this a role I actually will fulfill with integrity and ethics, openness, courage and humility?  When I am pushed by others behaving badly, expectations that seem impossible to achieve, and with group members who don’t do what they say they will do or just don’t show up, will I nevertheless do the right thing regardless of the personal cost?

If you want to know more, check out the full article:  "The Search for Worthy Leadership" [PDF].