Let’s be clear—running a law firm in 2025 isn’t just about being a good lawyer. That’s table stakes. It’s about being a leader, a strategist, and the kind of CEO your firm actually needs.

And here’s the kicker: none of that comes naturally. Leadership isn’t a gene you’re born with. It’s a skill you build. The secret sauce? A growth mindset.

Psychologist Carol Dweck put it simply: your qualities aren’t fixed. They can be developed with effort, smart strategies, and help from others. That’s true in life, but it’s especially true in law firm leadership.

If you’ve built a successful firm but still feel the pull for more, you’re not alone. There’s a particular kind of tension that high-achieving attorneys feel—but rarely discuss:

I’m grateful for all I’ve built… so why do I still want more?

That quiet discomfort—the feeling that something’s missing even though everything “looks” right—is what I call The Gratitude Gap. It’s the internal conflict between contentment and desire, presence and progress, fulfillment and ambition. And if you don’t learn how to reconcile that tension, it doesn’t go away. It compounds.

The “Gratitude Gap” keeps many attorneys stuck in a cycle of striving. This story shows what happens when you stop to acknowledge how far you’ve already come.

In law school, we’re trained to be articulate. To master language. To communicate with precision. And for the most part, we succeed—at least in the courtroom or at the negotiation table. But in the real world of law firm leadership? Articulation alone doesn’t cut it.

Leadership isn’t tested when things are easy. It’s tested in the storm.

A founder and managing partner of a multi-million-dollar plaintiffs’ firm recently found himself navigating one of the most turbulent seasons of his career. In the span of days, he made the difficult decision to let go of multiple team members, including his highest grossing attorney. He wrestled with ethical obligations that led to the filing of bar complaints. He shouldered client communications during an unexpected transition and was suddenly pulled back into the day-to-day legal work he had long since delegated.

It was a lot. And yet, he didn’t just survive the chaos—he led through it. Coaching helped him do that.

When “Bob” and I first teamed up, he was stuck in a cycle so many law former solos find themselves in—buried in casework, making all the key decisions, and unable to step back without things grinding to a halt. He knew he needed a stronger team, but hiring felt risky. What if he picked the wrong person? What if delegation led to mistakes? As a law firm owner, Bob understood reputation is everything.

Here are the steps “Bob” took to get out of the solo-practitioner bottleneck to setting the vision, creating the right culture, and building a team that could operate at a high level…

Effective leadership requires a delicate balance between empathy and authority. Many believe these qualities are polar opposites, but in reality, they are complementary forces that can transform your leadership style. The ability to connect with your team while maintaining strong decision-making skills is what separates good leaders from great ones.

In this blog post, you’ll explore the dynamics of energy leadership, how to find the right balance between empathy and authority, and practical strategies to implement this approach in your leadership style. By the end, you’ll have a clear framework to create a high-performing, engaged team that thrives under your leadership.