This will stop you second-guessing yourself
"Know thyself."
These words were inscribed on the entrance to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in ancient Greece, where people travelled from across the world to consult the oracle. The fact that this was the first thing they were asked to consider before seeking answers elsewhere feels about right to me. People have understood for a very long time that knowing yourself is one of the foundations of a well-lived life.
And yet most of us spend very little time actually doing it.
Confident or “difficult”? Depends who you ask
Last week I ran a session for Capsticks LLP on gendered leadership. 109 people attended, and around 20 of them were men. And at the end, the outgoing Managing Partner, Martin Hamilton, described it as "the best conversation on leadership we've had at Capsticks."
That’s going on the wall!
I would love to share the key messages from the session with you, because leadership in the legal profession is, in many ways, still catching up. When you find an example of it being done well, it’s worth talking about. Not just as proof of what is possible, but as a reminder to anyone working somewhere less enlightened that it does not have to be this way.
The question to ask before you say yes
Coming back in January after the break can feel like being thrown straight back into the deep end.
Targets reset, expectations stay high, and somehow we’re meant to be back at full speed straight away.
Last week in Female Lawyers’ Club, we hosted a brilliant masterclass with Vikki Pratley, former lawyer and founder of the StressLess Academy, on avoiding burnout while still staying ambitious and performing at a high level.
Why Selfies are No Longer My Friend
At a recent Female Lawyers’ Club drinks in London, we watched two women in a bar taking selfies - full-on, exaggerated poses, utterly unbothered by anyone around them. We admired them. They gave zero shits. And why should they? They looked fabulous.
I’ve never quite felt that level of ease with how I look - especially not in the world of law.
How to Stop Beating Yourself Up
I recently went for dinner at Evelyn’s in Manchester with a lovely friend who I used to work with. Between bites of charred cauliflower, deep-fried courgettes, teriyaki mushrooms, and chips (we ordered all the food and it was glorious), we caught up on life, careers, and everything in between.
At one point, my friend asked me something that really stuck with me. She said:
“How do I stop beating myself up when I get things wrong?”