In personal brand management, a big key to success is your ability to adapt to circumstances and change. If you aren’t flexible and dynamic, then there’s no room for you to grow, develop an effective and genuine personal brand and succeed.
Many industries are perceived as static and slow to change and grow. One in particular is the legal industry and lawyers. I work with plenty of fabulous lawyers and law firms up for the challenge of developing a personal brand that is dynamic and flexible. However, the legal industry as a whole is not viewed as such. For those of you who remember, think about the show, “Paper Chase”. Not sure that perception has changed over the decades since that show aired.
I was just at the American Bar Association (ABA) Law Practice Management (LPM) conference in Napa, California. We were working on developing a program for lawyers, when this topic came up again. As we work hard on bringing new concepts and trends to lawyers and working on helping younger lawyers see the need to be outgoing, dynamic and brand-oriented, we always keep in mind a few thing. Lawyers can be slower to change, more risk-averse and more security-oriented.
If you think about it, these generalized traits make sense. The law is about precedent and following what came before to get to a new place in the future. Legal educational institutions and firms have been around for centuries and take pride in having this longevity. I remember my international law professor had been teaching at my law school for something like 30 years by the time I took his class- and the running joke was that there hadn’t been many changes to the curriculum since he started at the law school.
However, with the longevity and prestige there is always the danger of stagnation. This stagnation comes from following precedent, becoming comfortable with “what has always work in the past” and a general fear of trying new things, growing or following new trends. Fear of the unknown is common and something I appreciate.
The way to grow and succeed, though, is via a shift in perspective. Appreciate your tried and true ways, but always keep your eyes and ears open for a new method and process. Your personal brand will thank you for it and so will your family and clientele.
