Practicing Law: The Will to Prepare to Win

By Cordell Parvin on March 7, 2017

Posted in Book Reviews, Career Development, Client Development

I recently received a copy of an email from a lawyer I am coaching to the others in her coaching group. She said:

I am not sure how many of you are reading Cordell’s book, but I just read a great tip in there that I thought that I would share with you. It is not one that I had heard before.

Determine who 5 leading lawyers are in your field. Print out their biographies. Study their biographies to determine what has made them successful (e.g. speaking engagements, leadership roles, pro bono, memberships). Emulate their success.

A few years ago I read a quote attributed to Bobby Knight and also to Paul (Bear) Bryant. It was:

“Many have the will to win, but few have the will to prepare to win.”

I believe successful lawyers are not successful by accident.

Most I know prepare to win by figuring out what is important to them, setting career and life priorities, developing a plan with goals and taking action to achieve them.

I also know now that attracting new clients and building a lasting relationship with them is not an accident. The successful lawyers I know prepare to win with clients and potential clients by taking time to understand their needs and making sure they effectively address those needs.

In your career, “the will to prepare to win” will be way more important than the “will to win.”

So, I chose “Prepare to Win: A Lawyer’s Guide to Rainmaking, Career Success and Life Fulfillment” as the title for my book. If you click, you’ll see you can order it for your Kindle for only $2.99.

This book is not about winning in court or on appeal. Instead, it is a workbook designed to help you define your own success and then achieve it.

I hope you will find it a helpful tool as you focus on your career, client development, and living the kind of life that is important to you. I hope you find some valuable nuggets in the book that will help you think through what your career and life priorities are and how you can achieve them.

Here are the Chapter titles:

Chapter One: How Do Rainmakers Do It?

Chapter Two: Living and Practicing Law with a Purpose: You Have to Answer the “Why” Question

Chapter Three: Your Vision of Success: How Do Rainmakers Do It?

Chapter Four: Core Values: How Do You Want to Live?

Chapter Five: The Importance of Role Models and Mentors

Chapter Six: Setting Yearly Goals and Developing Your Career Plan

Chapter Seven: A Call to Action: Executing Your Plan

Chapter Eight: Mind Games: Getting and Staying “In the Zone”

Chapter Nine: Building Your Profile: The Power of Writing and Speaking

Chapter Ten: Community Service and Networking

Chapter Eleven: Connecting with Contacts