A few years ago, I didn’t know the difference between leadership and management, and, frankly, I didn’t care. To my way of thinking, these were "corporate" concepts, irrelevant to my needs as a sole practitioner trying to build a law practice.
In my never-ending quest for personal development, I have since learned a great deal about these subjects and now appreciate their value in building a law practice.
If you would like a shortcut to understanding the essence of these subjects, I’d recommend a book by Marcus Buckingham, author of the best sellers, "First, Break All The Rules" and "Now, Discover Your Strengths. Buckingham’s latest is "The One Thing You Need to Know. . . About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success." His insights on leadership and management will truly help you become more effective in managing your practice. His conclusions about "sustained individual success" will not only help you attract more clients and increase your income, they will help you enjoy the process.
Success and happiness. Not a bad combination.
I agree with Buckingham’s conclusion that success does not require (and may actually be inhibited by) balance, a conclusion supported by another book I recommended and frequently refer to, "The 80/20 Principle" by Richard Koch. Yes, we want balance between our careers and personal lives, but when it comes to marketing a law practice or building a career, I have always counseled an unbalanced (focused) approach: specialization, niche marketing, and maximizing strengths while making weaknesses irrelevant.
So when people say I’m unbalanced, that’s a good thing.
[…] I'm asked to recommend good books on business or personal development, I usually include Marcus Buckingham's "The One Thing You Need to Know. . . About Great Managing, Great […]