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You may have heard of Brené Brown. He has an impressive collection of books and Ted Talks on leadership, vulnerability, and more. He’s also an alcoholic, ex-Catholic and, according to his website, a (now angry) Texan. I’m not sure what he’s fussing about but, Bre, if you’re reading this, let me know.
As someone who has little time to sit down with a good book, I appreciate a Ted Talk that inspires, and there are few. He is not, and has never been, in the legal profession, but that doesn’t mean he can’t contribute to the discussion of legal project management (LPM).
Brown doesn’t want to go into great detail, but he says Theodore Roosevelt’s speech changed his life. Apparently early in his internet career, one of his Ted Talks made headlines, and after CNN.com and NPR covered it, Brown suddenly went public. It wasn’t the life he imagined for himself, but there it was.
Of course, media fame comes with a price tag, and Brown’s husband and her therapist warn her not to read the news online. But since he was an independent thinker, he did. What he found was that the criticism was negative and personal. It wasn’t about what he did, but he knew that avoiding attack and the resulting vulnerability were the reasons why he preferred to be low in his life.
The Story of a Lifetime Escape
After watching Downton Abbey one day later, Brown said he had long escaped by researching the president during the time the series depicted. Theodore Roosevelt. Digging deeper, he found a quote you may have seen from “The Man in the Arena” speech Roosevelt gave in the early 1900s at the Sorbonne.
“It’s not the attacker that matters. It’s not about who shows how successful a strong person is, or how well employees work. For a man who is still in the field, his face is stained with blood and sweat and dust, the best thing in the end, he knows the victory of great achievements, and the worst moreover, if he falls, he will not be brave.“
This message served Brown well at a time when he needed it most. If you’re in any kind of leadership position, it’s also good news for you. Here are three of his personal takeaways from the story.
- It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about showing and being seen.
- If you want to create something that hasn’t been seen before, the only thing you can do is kick your ass.
- If you’re not in the zone, kicking your ass, I don’t care what you say.
For those of us in the legal world, especially those who carry out LPM projects, this is a welcome sight. LPM means different functions. As a result, you will hear all kinds of criticism. In fact, one of the hardest things to do when you enter an LPM program is to criticize what you are doing and why you are doing it. Many of the speakers sat in low chairs, as Brown called it, and scoffed. You can’t control the critics, but you can control your response to them.
In any industry, in life, there will never be a shortage of people who can do better, no matter what. Everyone is fourth on Monday morning. At school sports events. Sit around a soccer game and you’ll hear it. They yelled at the referee, questioned the players’ sanity, and screamed at the other team’s courage in defending their goal.
Handling Complaints
So, what’s the best way to handle bullies? It is necessary to prevent them in the first place. But that’s not something you can control. The same goes for your LPM program. There are observers. When they arrive, there are some things you can do to prepare.
Be clear and unapologetic about your habits. Brown says it’s scary to step into the field and open yourself up to criticism. The same goes for LPM. But once you’ve decided on the value that LPM is right for your business and its customers, what should you do? Consumers are demanding more accountability, transparency, and control over legal spending. Lawyers want to spend more time practicing law and less time doing freelance work. You have the tools to give them what they need.
Surround yourself with LPM-minded people. Brown says don’t forget about the people outside of your life who really care about you. Yes, it’s great to have a supportive friend or mentor. But it’s better to find a champion with internal supporters who have your back. If you really show up, you won’t win every battle. Some days you kick your ass. That’s when you need that guy, says Brown, who likes to say “Sucked man. Yes, it’s worse than you think. We’ll clean you up… because you’re going back in.”
Call the audience in. You can’t keep them out, you can’t pretend they don’t exist. When you focus all of your energy on defending the attackers, you’re going to get yourself into trouble with the LPM program. If you are creating a new, innovative way to do your law firm, you need to be flexible. Get them into the space, at least, so they can see what’s going on. As for the naysayers, Brown says, “Find them a seat, take them to lunch, say ‘I see you, I hear you, but I’m going to go out and do this again.’ ” Consider effective feedback. Everything is just noise.
The Bottom Line
Would you really kick your ass to run an LPM project? Probably not. But it’s a good metaphor for the hard work and dedication it takes. The important thing to remember is that when you put in the effort up front, LPM makes everyone’s life easier. Attackers can be a noisy bunch. In the end, however, there was no final word. Also remember, you can’t do everything at once, and you can’t do it without help.
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