Rainmaking: What Does It Take?
A couple of years ago I met with the managing partner of a 500-lawyer firm for which I was about to begin coaching 15 junior partners. He was my age and, in addition to being the managing partner, he was a leading rainmaker.
During our conversation, he expressed skepticism about the value of coaching. He said: “Rainmaking, you either have it or you don’t. Some lawyers are meant to be finders, others minders and others grinders.”
I respectively disagreed and several months into our coaching program, he acknowledged that based on what lawyers in the firm were doing differently, lawyers can learn to develop business.
Deliberate Practice
Every recent study has concluded that inborn talent does not explain high achievement. According to researchers, “deliberate practice” is the answer. Deliberate practice is not just any kind of “practice makes perfect.” It is designed to: continually stretch an individual beyond his or her current abilities; be repeatable; get feedback; and be mentally demanding. To learn more about it in a general context, read the article or book by Geoff Colvin "Why Talent is Overrated."
In a future post I will share with you my ideas of what “deliberate practice” lawyers can do to become rainmakers. I am convinced you can develop your skills over time. In the meantime let me leave you with a quote I like:
"The truth is that our finest moments, more often than not, occur precisely when we are uncomfortable, when we’re not feeling happy or fulfilled, when we’re struggling and searching."
M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled and Beyond
