Building Without a Blueprint - Survival Mode Is Not a Business Strategy

Speaker A: Foreign. To the Right Hand podcast. This is where we talk about how law firm owners can build stronger, smarter and more sustainable firms. Most lawyers, what they do is they start out their own firm to gain freedom and independence. But as the firm grows, new challenges appear and that can form in hiring, leadership, operations and profitability. This podcast explores the insights that help law firm owners move from just simply practicing law to successfully running a law firm. This is brought to you by Ruben Allen and our sister company, Marshall Graham Consulting. We are your strategic right hand for growing law firms. I am Greg Copeland. Thank you and welcome back. This is episode two of our Building Without a Blueprint series. And this series is dedicated to law firm owners who are building something extraordinary with, without having been given a roadmap. The attorneys who may be first in their family to own the business, the first to become a lawyer, the first to build a law firm, um, maybe even the first to navigate leadership such as hiring, finances, growth and all the challenges that come with entrepreneurship. So many law firm owners had to figure this out as they go because we don't have classes in law school of entrepreneurs, how to the business of a law firm of opening a law firm. We have business law, but not the business of law. So figuring this out as they go and it's not because they wanted to, um, it's because they didn't have access to the same networks, mentorships, resources or examples that other may have had. So building without a blueprint is about this journey. It's about the challenges, the lessons, successes and realities of building a law firm. Um, when a lot of times there's no clear path to follow. So whether you're a minority owned firm, a ah, woman owned firm, first generation professional, or simply someone who's building a business without a playbook, this series is for you. Because asking questions is not weakness, seeking guidance is not failure. And building a great firm doesn't mean you have to build it alone. So you know, let's jump right into today's episode, uh, episode and that is survival mode is not a business strategy. And this is one of the things you know, I like to talk about because I admire entrepreneurs, um, resilience, um, especially law firm owners and especially those who built their firms without any inherited networks, inherited networks or um, established business relationships or financial backing or a clear roadmap. Um, most successful law firm owners have overcome tremendous, uh, obstacles. They've had to work longer hours, um, they've had to take bigger risks than others. Um, they made sacrifices that most people from the outside will never See, and those sacrifices help build the firm. Um, but what I want to touch upon today is something that can be a little bit uncomfortable and, and, you know, but we still need to address it. It's that sometimes the very habits that helped us survive in the beginning become those same habits that hold us back as we grow. Um, and that's why I call this survival, uh, mode is it's not a business strategy, because what helps you survive isn't the same thing always of, uh, what helps you scale and grow. Um, I think what we need to do is understand survival mode and define what survival mode looks like. And survival mode isn't laziness. It's not incompetence. It's actually the opposite of that. Most times, um, survival mode is what happens when you do whatever is necessary to keep moving forward. As the owner, you. You wear every hat, Administrator, paralegal, spokesperson, attorney. You solve every problem, you answer every question. Um, you're handling every client issue. You're staying late, you're working weekends, and you're figuring out everything as you go along. And in the beginning, that's what's required when you're coming out and you're starting your firm. And many firms would never get off the ground without that level of commitment. Um, and it works early. And the reason why it works early because when you're starting a firm, a lot of times, uh, your resources may be limited. Um, there may be not a lot. There may not be a lot of money for additional staff. There may not be, uh, systems. Um, you may not have operational support. Uh, so the found the, the founder becomes the solution. Um, need something done, you do it as the owner. Need a decision made, you do it. Need a problem solved, you do it. Uh, and this works because the organization is small, and a lot of times it's just you or you and another person. And complexity is manageable. And the founder can personally touch upon almost everything. But here's where things get interesting. At some point, that firm begins to grow. You get more clients and get more cases. Maybe, um, you have to make a hire. Uh, so you get more employees, more opportunities come to you. And suddenly what happens is the behaviors that help you build the firm are now creating friction. Uh, because you're still trying to do everything. You're still trying to solve every problem. You're still carrying every responsibility. But the beginning, but the. Excuse me, but the business has become too large, too big for that approach. And that's where a lot of firms get stuck in. Um, and so it's A challenge for that law firm owner. And it's one of the hardest parts of growth. And it requires an identity shift. So you know, for years your value may have, as the owner may, um, have come from being the person who could do, handle everything, the fixer, the problem solver, the person everyone depended on. Um, but then growth happens and it requires something different. So instead of being the person who does everything, you need to become the person who builds systems, uh, the person who develops the people, person who creates culture. And a lot of that can feel uncomfortable because you're not used to that. Um, because you're being asked to let go of those very habits that made you successful in the first place. And you want to avoid falling into the trap of the I'll do it myself thing. And it's probably one of the most common survival mode habits. I'll just do it myself. If you can't, if you need something done, you got to do it yourself. We hear that all the time. Um, we've all said it. Uh, you might have said it this week. Sometimes it does make sense. But when it becomes your default response, it creates a ceiling for you and your firm. Because every time you solve a problem personally, you're reinforcing a system that depends solely on you. And firms that depend entirely on their, on their owners, on their founders, they eventually hit a limit. And not because the demand disappears, but because capacity, the capacity to solve those problems runs out. So even in established firms, survival mode can be surprisingly easy to spot. So I just want to touch upon this, how it shows up. Um, it sounds like I'm too busy to train someone, or I'm the only one who can do this the right way, or it'll take longer to explain it, to just do it myself. Uh, or we'll build systems later. I'll hire when, when, when things calm down. And then the problem with this is that things rarely calm down, they just grow even more. Um, because growth, what that does, it rarely creates extra time. And waiting often makes that problem worse. So you have to, to understand there's a difference between surviving and building. Um, surviving focuses simply on today, building focuses on tomorrow. Surviving. Um, they ask, how do we get through this week? Building asks, how do we prevent this issue from six months from now from happening? Um, surviving solves the immediate problems. Building creates long term solutions. So I'll say it again. Surviving solves immediate problems. Building creates long term solutions. So both are necessary at different stages. But firms that remain in that survival mode indefinitely, those are the ones who struggle they struggle to grow, they struggle to stay alive a lot of time. So. What growth actually requires as firms grow, um, the leadership requires different skill. You need to learn delegation, um, how to implement systems, uh, create processes, financial viability, um, accountability, strategic planning. Um, so, I mean, if you notice what those things I just listed off, most of those things have very little to do with practicing law. Their leadership skills, their business skills, their operational skills. And that's why many law firm owners feel challenged, because they were taught how to practice law now how to run that business. Uh, no one taught them this part. And so there's also that where there's fear behind all of this. And staying in survival mode sometimes isn't just a habit, sometimes it's fear. It's the fear that no one else can do it. Um, the fear that that quality will suffer, the fear that mistakes will happen, um, fear that clients will be disappointed. And all those fears, they're legitimate, they're understandable. But what happens is they can become barriers. And because when you grow, when you. In any business, growth always involves trust. You have to trust in people, you have to trust in the systems that are implemented. You have to trust in leadership, and you have to redefine what success is for your law firm. And far too many law firm founders define success as being indispensable, that everyone needs them. Um, everyone depends on me. But I would, what I would like to do is, in this episode, just encourage you to consider a different definition of what success is. Think about this. What if success is building a firm that can operate effectively even when you're not, um, involved in every decision? What if success means creating systems that allow your team to succeed? Um, what if success means building something larger than your individual capacity? And see, that's the shift. It's when you redefine that definition of what success is for your firm, for you and your firm. And so the firm that successfully moves beyond survival mode, what they do is they have all one thing in common. Um, they stop asking, how can I do more? And start asking, how can we do better? And that single shift in mindset changes everything. Because growth is not about increasing effort forever. It's about increasing capability. So, you know, if you're listening to this today and recognize some of the survival mode mode, some of the survival mode habits in yourself, you're not alone. Um, in fact, it's probably one of the most common challenges among growing law firms, especially among founders who built their business through grit, resilience, determination. These habits helped you survive, and they deserve respect. They got you here, those habits. But they may not be what needs to get you to the next level. Because in growth, it requires a new set of tools, a new way of thinking, a willingness to evolve as an owner, as a leader, business survival. Um, that mode may help to build a firm, but it's not a long term strategy. So thank you for joining me for another episode of Building Without a Blueprint. In our next episode, what we'll do is we'll explore another challenge that law firm owners face. And it's true, nobody taught us this part and it's the business side of building a law firm. And until next time, keep building intentionally. And remember, great firms aren't built by accident. They're built through leadership structure and a willingness to learn what comes next. If you are a firm owner looking to build a stronger, more organized and more profitable Firm, please visit www.reuben-allen.com to learn more about how we help law firm owners grow. If you found this episode to be helpful, please be sure to follow the show and share it with another law firm leader. Until next time, keep building the firm that you set out to create. Thank you.