Career Success Luck, Passion, Genes And Dreaming

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers Career Success: Luck, Passion, Genes and Dreaming Over the past couple of weeks, I have been studying what successful people do differently. I found some very interesting articles/blogs for you to read. Here is a short list. 10 Things Lucky People Do Differently. What do you believe lucky lawyers do differently? Interesting quote: While many of us decide at some point during the course of our lives that we want to answer our calling, only an astute few of us actually work on it. By ‘working on it,’ I mean truly devoting oneself to the end result. The rest of us never act on our decision. Or, at best, we pretend to act on it by putting forth an uninspired, half-assed effort. How Leaders Lose Their Luck. How do you believe rainmakers lose their luck? Interesting quote: It turns out that the attributes associated with a lucky attitude and lucky network are the very attributes required for continuous and inspired leadership growth…We’ve identified seven such attributes, and they are among the most difficult ones for leaders to master and maintain. They are: humility, intellectual curiosity, optimism, vulnerability, authenticity, generosity, and openness. Where Does Passion Come From?  Where does passion for attracting, retaining and expanding relationships with clients come from? Interesting quote: In other words, when great achievers work on their passion they aren’t doing a job or pursuing a career; they’re fulfilling an inner need â€" a ‘calling’ they are intrinsically motivated by. What’s important here is that this desire â€" the rush of dopamine â€" likely has a genetic basis. Years ago I read a sports psychology book by Gary Mack titled: Mind Gym : An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence.  I found it could have been a lawyer’s guide to inner excellence because the points he made reminded me of what I see in the most outstanding lawyers I coach. Let’s review the ten qualities of inner excellence Mack listed and you will see what I mean. The person who is a winner within has a dream. The most outstanding lawyers I coach are pursuing a dream about their career and life. They set goals and action plans to convert their dream into actions. Commitment. The most outstanding lawyers I coach know what they want to achieve and why they want to achieve it. Because they know the “what” and the “why” they stay committed when others give up. Responsibility. The most outstanding lawyers I coach long ago took responsibility for their own career. Openness to learning and growing. The most outstanding lawyers I coach need coaching the least. But, they get the most out of it because they put the most into it. They are always striving to learn and grow. Optimism. I have referred to this quote in a previous blog post: “Superachievers think optimistically and plan purposely.” Self-confidence. Mack writes: “No one can outperform his or her self-image. The most outstanding lawyers I coach believe in themselves and their abilities to attract clients and be a valuable resource for those clients. Emotional control. The most outstanding lawyers I coach do not lose their temper; do not get down on themselves or the people who work with them. The adversity quotient. The most outstanding lawyers I coach get themselves up and try again when they run into roadblocks. Backbone and character. The most outstanding lawyers I coach focus on their integrity. I have always appreciated this John Wooden quote: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” Persistent and patient. The most outstanding lawyers I coach know that there is no such thing as overnight sensations. They work tirelessly building their visibility and credibility and do not give up or complain when they do not see immediate results from their efforts. I will leave you with these questions: I practiced law for 37 years developing a national construction law practice representing some of the top highway and transportation construction contractors in the US.