Feature Article
RAISING THE BAR
9 Steps to Leadership Within the Atlanta Bar
By Stephen T. LaBriola
Fellows LaBriola LLP
[email protected]
T
he Atlanta Bar Association cannot function without
good leaders. Cultivating the next generation of bar
leaders, therefore, is essential to future success and
growth. The steps below provide suggestions to those
interested in advancing the right way within the Bar:
1
Step 1. Educate Yourself First
This may sound too basic to be a step, but often attorneys
decide they will start at the top, having rarely (or possibly
even never) attended a Bar Section program. While the Bar
is an open organization, common sense must be followed to
become an effective leader. Coming to meetings and learning
the lay of the land and meeting the people who put together
the programs and are actually doing the work is, therefore,
the first step. There is no absolute on how long one should
wait in the wings before expressing interest and taking steps
to assume a leadership role, but do take sufficient time to
become knowledgeable first.
Step 4. Show up
Your calendar tells your story. As attorneys, we know the
value of our time. After all, it is what we sell. I can tell in
two seconds whether an attorney is on the right track toward
leadership within the Bar by looking at his or her calendar.
With meeting evites, electronic reminders, and published
Section/Committee events, it is simple to mark down events.
Be physically present at meetings/events whenever possible.
The Bar tries to be “convenient” and has dial-in numbers for
most meetings. Avoid doing so whenever possible. Yes,
Atlanta traffic is bad, but personal presence always beats
phone attendance. Becoming a leader is relationship driven.
Being there matters. It only takes a few times of attending a
Section CLE or function before you will see familiar faces. It is
much easier to go unnoticed when you are one of five callers
on a speakerphone. It also is difficult to have meaningful input
from a phone when others are there in person. Those who
physically attend control the meeting or event.
Step 2. Start at the Bottom
This step is the natural evolution to the advice in Step 1. While
there are those who have succeeded in jumping over the
lower rungs, there is great value to learning and observing at
the yeoman level. When a request goes out for a volunteer,
accept and participate. There are numerous committees,
sections, activities and task forces that do important work. The
wide array of opportunities also provide an entrée to the bigger
Bar where good leadership can be observed and learned.
Step 3. Volunteer With No Expectation of Reward
Volunteer because you want to serve. If your reason for
volunteering is to resumé pad, it will show. This is a gut
check; actually, it is a heart check. The Bar does a great
deal of good within the community. It also has its share of
tedious, mundane tasks. It simply comes with the territory of
being a leader. Look at the big picture and be prepared to
roll up your sleeves and help without concern over whether
your efforts have a reward. When a Section or Committee
chair asks for help, do not suddenly find a spot on the floor of
keen interest or develop a case of the “cat got your tongue”
syndrome. When you do volunteer, do it without a whimper.
10 THE ATLANTA LAWYER
April 2014
Steve LaBriola is a former Chair of the Litigation Section
and has never sought higher office within the Atlanta
Bar Association. Accordingly, he advises to take his
recommendation/suggestions with a grain of salt. He is a
partner with Fellows LaBriola LLP.
Step 5. 95/5 Rule
We have all heard of the 80/20 Rule (80 percent of the people
sit around and do nothing while 20 percent act). That rule is
false. In reality, it’s 95/5, and it works like this: 80 percent sit
around and do nothing; 10 percent attend but try to become
invisible when asked to do something (ultimately, they do
help, but at the minimalist level); 5 percent do volunteer (but
it’s accompanied by some form of drama); and only 5 percent
actually volunteer (indeed, they are the ones who help cajole
the other 15 percent to “volunteer”).
For those who want to climb the ranks, joining the five percent
is the North Star leading the way. The person at the top
has to have people who will volunteer and do what they orally
commit to do. Given the 95/5 Rule, the person at the top sees
the 5 as the saviors. They become the best vehicle through
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