Why Your Attitude Towards Technology Will Make Or Break Your Law Firm

by Guy Remond, with special guest Dale Walls

Leaders set the tone of any company; if you’re intentional with your actions, growth oriented, and willing to evolve, the rest of your legal workforce will likely follow suit.

Similarly, if you have a positive attitude towards technology, you’ll boost your team’s willingness to embrace it.

Guidr is an online platform that enables consumers to self-serve legal documents and access the support of their local attorney if desired. Technology has been revolutionizing the legal landscape for more than a decade, but we’re the first platform that we know of that keeps a local law firm at the heart of a service that offers online legal documents.

When it comes to utilizing technology, Dale Walls is an expert. Dale was in the Marine Corps before setting up and selling his own company, and then founding a high-performance and leadership coaching business, Lions Guide.

In this blog, we’re going to explore how technology can foster a more modern and effective company culture, create a competitive edge, and help your law firm advance.

You can hear our full conversation on the Legal Community Podcast.

How technology has changed the face of leadership

Dale: “A big aspect of leadership is communication, and often this is where technology is important. In the military, we call the key objective the ‘commander’s intent’. As leaders, we have the ability to reach our teams better than ever before.

It’s not that game where the general tells the colonels, who tell the captains, who tell their staff sergeants; that type of organizational tree doesn’t exist anymore. You can communicate whenever you need to. Leaders need to use technology to get out there and give a voice to the culture of their business.”

One of the reasons that technology is so powerful is that it allows you to be less formal and communicate on the move. You might be boarding a plane and decide to send a quick video message to your team, your business prospects, or your existing clients. Your communication can become a lot more imaginative when you make the most of technology.

The three characteristics of a high-performing leader

Dale: “I help leaders do three main things. First of all they find clarity on what makes them successful and what they need to do differently to become even more successful. Secondly I challenge leaders to be courageous. It’s the leaders who need to show up and tell the hard truths of what we’ve faced during and post Covid-19, how we need to change, and what our standards are. You have to have the courage to rise up and face those challenges. The third thing is to lead the way by setting a powerful and positive example.”

One of the biggest issues that leaders are going to face in the next couple of decades is the pace of change being led by technology. There is going to be more change in the next ten years than there has been in the past 50 to 100 years.

It’s a challenge for many leaders to adapt and lead their team through these changes. You have to strike the balance between being at the forefront of what’s happening and recognizing that change can also be disruptive to your team.

Leaders need to build adaptability as one of their key strengths. Dale shared wise words.

Why success is an inside job

Dale: “Success has nothing to do with the type of business or industry you’re in, it’s all about the leader in charge and their ability to be a high performer. My business is only going to grow as much as I’m willing to grow, and whether you’re an entrepreneur, solopreneur, business owner, or an organizational leader, you’ve got to adopt a high-performance mindset.

You need to check your ego and recognize that you should be in a constant growth mindset. Always seek self-improvement and ask, ‘How can I be better? What’s working? What’s not working? What can we do differently?’ You’ve got to adopt this mindset of growth if you want to thrive. The victim mentality, where you blame everyone else or external circumstances, doesn’t work.”

From what Dale has shared, it’s clear that your team and your work culture are partly defined by how you adapt to and embrace change. For example, if you were going to embrace a digital platform such as Guidr and add an additional revenue stream to your business, your attitude towards the process would impact on the rest of your workforce.

Sticking your head in the sand sets you up for failure

It’s easy to dismiss new technologies as a fad and hope that they disappear, but they’re clearly in demand and here to stay. One of the original companies that started an online platform for legal documents has just exceeded five million customers.

If you don’t have a digital offering, clients who want to access documents at their own convenience will find another firm that does. At Guidr, we put your law firm at the center of the service so that if a client requires additional bespoke support, they can still come to you.

You might also enjoy our earlier blog Why Lawyers Need To Start Thinking Like Their Consumers And Get Online.

How to prepare for digital demand

If you’re not a technical person, embracing new technology can feel intimidating, but it’s often a lot easier than you imagine; we’ve already done all the hard work for you. Check out our book The Digitization of Law: How to Transform Technology Disruptions into Abounding Opportunity or download a free copy.

You’re also welcome to email me, Guy Remond, or the co-founder of Guidr, Dave Zumpano, for further information or support, so that you can set your mind and law firm up for success.