My family recently toured a sleep-away camp that my daughter will attend this summer. Among the many other amenities that the camps of our youth lacked, the camp director showed us some towering and elaborate ropes courses. (At this point, you’re probably asking how this is relevant to being a better lawyer and leader. I promise that I’m getting there.) The tour guide explained that these rope courses and similar amenities were “challenge courses.” He further explained the camp counselors used them to help our children grow by being encouraged to push themselves outside of their comfort zones.
While we attorneys are decidedly not children (and try to avoid acting like them most of the time), there are lessons to be learned from my family’s camp tour. The foremost is that we experience growth through challenges that remove us from our comfort zones. Although overcoming a fear of heights (or, more accurately, the rational application of rudimentary physics knowledge and the known effects of a relatively fragile object landing on an unforgiving surface) is not typically a growth-promoting challenge that we encounter as lawyers or leaders, we have many opportunities to challenge ourselves throughout our careers.
I’ll start by providing two examples that I have personally experienced (albeit one before I began practicing law). The first is applicable to both becoming a better lawyer and leader. When I first went to college, my school would hold mandatory large academic gatherings of primarily professors, staff, and administrators where I did not know anyone. I did fine in smaller groups, but interacting with large groups of strangers that could influence my academic career was intimidating. From that day on, however, I purposely put myself in equally intimidating situations to become more comfortable. As an attorney and leader, I now employ these skills regularly.
The second example involves being an inexperienced attorney. Early in my career, I had to learn how to practice law primarily on my own. While I was not a solo attorney, I was expected to employ a baseline of knowledge that I had not gathered yet without receiving much guidance. I was also tasked with working in areas that my fellow attorneys lacked knowledge. Through this, I became very resourceful and unafraid to tackle new legal challenges. Consequently, I have benefited from my willingness to take on work that others would deem unfamiliar, complicated, or messy.
The good news is that we can all replicate the camp experience. Locally, we have several Inns of Courts and many other organizations (like the Austin Bar Association) that can provide us with opportunities to develop our social skills. We are also lucky to have a variety of pro bono or paying opportunities (like at litem appointments) that can involve training and access to more experienced attorneys as a resource. Lastly, local organizations requiring volunteers exist in relative abundance. These organizations offer ample opportunities to lead in areas (and ways) that stretch our perceived competencies.
While the first camp-tour lesson is important, we should not ignore the second. The second lesson is that others can help accelerate our growth. As adults, we don’t have the luxury of trained camp counselors to gently push us. But we can seek out those who help bring out the best in us among our mentors, colleagues, and friends. We can also try to associate ourselves with those who we would like to emulate.
As camp season approaches, my wife and I are excited to see how our daughter grows from her experience. I am also excited when I see growth in myself and my colleagues as we utilize our own “challenge courses” and surround ourselves with those who help us become better lawyers and leaders.