Albert Einstein said, “The one who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before.”
Most lawyers don’t want to walk alone. They don’t want to stand out. They do what other lawyers do, read what other lawyers read, and do what other lawyers do. They even look like other lawyers look.
And that’s why the average lawyer is just average.
If you want to be better than average, if you want to earn a bigger income or leave a bigger mark on the world, you can’t do what everyone else does. You have to be different.
You can’t network in all the same places most lawyers network. You can’t write what they write, say what they say, or do what they do. When they zig, you need to zag.
You often hear me say that you need to tell the world (clients, prospects, referral sources, etc.) how you are better than other lawyers, or how you are different. You have to differentiate yourself and give the world a reason to notice you and choose you.
You don’t have to be a radical, or a visionary. Just different.
Speak out about something. Join a group. Or start one.
Change something about how you do your work. Or change your appearance.
Move away from the mainstream and follow your own path.
Do things other lawyers don’t do and you will go places other lawyers don’t go.
Learn how to differentiate yourself
