In this short article, learn the importance of interpersonal relationships in a business setting, particularly when it comes to persuading people.

This is the story of four in-house lawyers, all entirely fictional, but who may nevertheless resemble colleagues you might meet at the ACC Annual Meeting.

As I step into my new chapter, I want to encourage you to continue exploring and growing so that you can step into your greatness as a lawyer, a team member, a leader, and whatever other roles are before you

Our self-created stress is as harmful as secondhand smoke. This “thing we do” is killing us — and to what benefit? No job is worth compromising our health or family relationships.

The first law of motion essentially states that a body in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. The same is true of a body at rest. Every day we are bombarded with chances to make improvements — but it can be difficult to recognize them.

I don’t usually think of corporate lawyers around the world as the technology leaders of our times, nor most of the companies they work for. In reality, however, that is far from the truth.

It’s time to extend some grace and give yourself a break.

When building a team, whether you work together from across the room or across the world, there are a few musts that will give you a better chance for success.

Here are 10 steps that should be a part of every crisis management process.

A manager who is committed to a professional partnership makes a difference in the development of his or her employees and the organization’s workplace happiness. In return, the employees reward their boss with engagement and contributions.

By coming at the problem from different angles and with creative thought, we are conveying the significance of solving the problem. Because it is important, our minds will do what they do best and that is to help us, to protect us.

It’s easy to say that people should take responsibility for where they are in life, but it’s a little more challenging in real life. We tend to look to outside circumstances to explain why things don’t go the way we want. To be certain, things happen and circumstances are often unfavorable for what we’ve chosen to pursue. However, it is not those circumstances that keep us from our desired outcomes.

But to go to the next level, to get promotions, to launch businesses, or to live a life of purpose and meaning, we have to step out of our cocoons, our little life bubbles, and step into something that is at least a little bit scary, if not outright scary, to stretch our muscles, both mental and emotional.

By investing in each lawyer’s professional development, a legal department may benefit in its employee retention efforts as employees seek to grow in their professions while creating a pipeline of talent when more senior positions become available in the future.

So, when should we say yes? The simple answer is to say yes when it moves you toward your goals, as long as doing so aligns with your values and priorities.

In order to be able to say yes to what we want, we have to be willing to say no to those requests we don't want or don't have the bandwidth to manage.

We have to be careful of being afraid of failing. There is nothing wrong with failing. Yes, it naturally includes the pain we feel from not getting what we want. But it is important to remember the pain we feel and the risks we’ve taken help us grow, so that next time we are better prepared to succeed.

The life of a mentor and coach is bittersweet. If we’re successful, we know that those whom we coach will leave and move on to better things. While we know it’s for the best, it’s still sad to see them go.

If you choose to see the procrastination as a habit rather than part of your core identity, you can address the habit from an objective point of view with proven habit change techniques.

What successful people read is just as important as how much they read. At the top of your list should be things that will benefit you in your life, your relationships, and your career.

Dreaming, as opposed to goal-setting, is not about being smart, measureable, achievable, realistic, or time bound. Dreaming is the exact opposite of that. It simply allows you to explore all that can be.

But how do we know if we’re a good partner, lawyer, or leader? Is that a designation we give ourselves or does someone have to tell us? We should not measure our worth; it’s for others to decide. How our role impacts others is what counts. If people think we are — we probably are.

No matter how difficult the situation or overwhelming the problem, our job as leaders is to assess the situation and see what we can do to make a difference.

If you get nothing else from this column other than the importance of being self-aware and intentional about the pursuit of your goals, then my job here is done.

We should be building up the next generation, helping them to navigate the world they are inheriting, not castigating them for receiving trophies they did not earn.