Claudette Christian knows what it takes to succeed in business. She is the Co-Chair of the Board at Hogan Lovells. I am sure you are familiar with this Big Law global practice.
Christian has devoted her life to leadership, diversity and inclusion, as reported in Forbes on line in the October 17th edition. Here are her 10 tips for women in business, and they are so close to what I write about, that it is not only helpful for you but validating for me. Claudette Christian is a giant in our business, and I am happy that the two of us are singing off the same song sheet.The Top Ten Tips from Claudette Christian follow. Commit them to memory and execute them in your professional life. They are guaranteed to raise your stock and improve your prospects for success in your career.
1. Accept challenges. You have heard me say that you must continue to stretch in your profession and take on things that may be beyond your comfort zone, from new legal challenges to challenges in developing work. These things are critical to your professional development.
2. Be ambitious. Ambition is a good thing as long as you are not ruthless. Women can be as positively ambitious as men, and you need to remember that. Forget the voices of your grandmother and your aunt So-and-So, who told you that being assertive is not ladylike. That is very old news and not apropos for today’s women attorneys.
3. Find opportunities for leadership. This always is ncluded in my advice to you. Volunteer for jobs at your firm or other employment setting that others do not want. Do it in outside settings as well, like your legal organizations and communities. Your efforts will be rewarded and networking and development opportunities will follow.
4. Excel at more than one thing. This is one that I probably should be emphasizing more, so, thank you Claudette Christian! However, it is another way of saying that you need to stay current and always be looking for new opportunities, things that I always include in my advice to you. AND
5. Think strategically. Ms. Christian addresses this from a global perspective and applies it to a world view. I think about it a little more locally and emphasize it in your workplace. The broader application will come if you start thinking strategically about your firm and how you fit in. You must understand the structure of your firm, the way business is done and what the expectations and opportunities are for you in that structure. These are the things that you do not learn in law school—regrettably—but they are imperative for your future success.
MORE from Claudette Christian—and from me—in my next blog. Check it out!
