With countless professional leadership models available, it can be difficult to choose the one that will have the greatest impact on our professional decision-making. The sheer number of leadership models to choose from can be overwhelming for individual lawyers and law firms to select and implement. I have worked with several firms and attorneys who have attempted to operationalize a model, only to later end up stymied and ultimately reverting back to ad hoc ways of leading themselves and others. They have shared that this cycle feels both disappointing and frustrating.
Yet, with a constant barrage of decisions and leadership opportunities that arise daily in law practice, firms, legal organizations, and attorneys at every stage of practice are undoubtedly better off with a guiding framework than without one. The question remains: Does an effective decision-making and leadership model exist that is both straightforward and effective for law firms, legal organizations, and the individuals and teams who work at them?
The Internal Family Systems (IFS) Self-Leadership model developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz answers this question with a resounding “Yes!” IFS offers a transformative leadership framework that is both practical and profound.1 Though IFS was originally developed as a therapeutic model, its principles are easily transferred to professional leadership and organizational development. I have used the IFS model with individual coaching clients for almost ten years, and recently started teaching the model to large groups of lawyers, law firms, and other businesses.
Other attorneys nationally are applying the IFS model to the practice of law. For example, I recently had the pleasure of speaking with attorney David Hoffman, a mediator, arbitrator, Harvard Law professor, and founding member of Boston Law Collaborative, LLC. David applies the IFS model to help parties come to resolution in mediation; he has written an exemplary law review article to articulate how.2 Our conversation inspired us to organize the first “IFS and the Law” virtual gathering this fall.
Leading with Self Versus Leading with Parts
The IFS model provides a framework for successful decision-making in the practice of law. It teaches us how to move through the world—to lead, learn, grow, and make choices—from an optimized mindset. In last quarter’s Pathways to Well-Being, I discussed the basic principles of the IFS model, including the IFS terms of art: “parts” and “Self.”3 To briefly summarize, IFS views the human psyche as consisting of multiple aspects, called “parts.” Parts can be recognized as our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and sensations that arise in different situations.
In addition to parts, the IFS model includes the concept of the “Self.” The Self refers to the core positive essence in each of us—our innately wise inner leader that naturally comes forth when our parts are tended to. Self’s core qualities are described using eight words, all of which start with the letter “C.” Self’s “eight Cs” are: calm, compassion, clarity, curiosity, creativity, confidence, courage, and connectedness. These are explained in greater detail below.
If you’ve seen the Pixar movie Inside Out or Inside Out 2 released this past summer, you’ll immediately get the idea. In the movie, the audience is privy to the many “parts” inside head of Riley, the main character. The parts—aptly named things such as Anxiety, Sadness, Disgust, and Joy—personify Riley’s thoughts and emotions as she navigates personal relationships and decision-making. In the movie, the parts wreak havoc when they “take the wheel” on Riley’s life, leading her to make all kinds of less-than-optimal decisions until her Self energy steps in, recovers the wheel, and saves the day. While the movie is not an exact replica of the IFS model, it is an excellent way to better understand the model in an enjoyable way.
As Inside Out depicts, when accessing Self’s core qualities and leading from Self, we align our decision-making and our leadership choices with our true values and intentions. When we lead with Self, we feel good mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. If we don’t lead with Self, we likely resort to listening to aspects of ourselves that may be anxious instead of calm, or afraid instead of courageous, thereby thwarting our ability to make good decisions, offer optimal solutions, and successfully lead ourselves and others.
Understanding the “8 Cs”
Below I define the “8 Cs” of Self-Leadership and then briefly address how each one optimizes decision-making and leadership choices in the practice of law.
Calm: allows us to maintain a regulated, composed state, even in the face of internal or external turmoil. Calm helps us stay relaxed and think clearly while also demonstrating to those around us that we are at ease instead of defensive. Calm helps maintain composure, which reduces stress-induced errors and enhances clear thinking, even under pressure. By approaching decision-making with calm, we are less likely to react impulsively and more likely to consider the options and the likely results of our choices—or the choices we advise our clients to make—thoughtfully.
Compassion: is a naturally occurring sense of empathy and understanding toward ourselves and others. Compassion helps us to shift out of strong emotions that disconnect us from others and cultivates an ability to extend generosity, care, and kindness towards ourselves, others, and situations. Odd as it may seem, there is a role for compassion in the field of law. By approaching decision-making and leadership with compassion, we consider the emotional and personal aspects of our clients’ and colleagues’ situations and foster positive relationships with opposing counsel and decision makers. Compassion can make even the most contentious cases and interpersonal challenges less taxing on everyone involved.
Clarity: allows us to have a clear and unobstructed perspective of ourselves and others. Clarity allows us to think, plan, organize, and communicate in a way that is easy for us and others to understand. When decision-making or leading with clarity, we evaluate the pros and cons of options accurately and advise accordingly. This ensures that our decisions and guidance are based on a realistic understanding of the situation and not on the distortions caused by intense emotions or preconceived biases. Clarity is a key component of effective lawyering as it allows us to understand complex legal issues, navigate intricate case details, and make the best decisions for ourselves and our clients.
Curiosity: is experienced as the capacity to extend an open and non-judgmental interest in what is occurring both internally (within us) and externally (with those around us). Curiosity gives us room to find out more information before jumping to conclusions. It also permits us to ask questions of both ourselves and others. Curiosity helps make room for different perspectives (our own or another’s). It provides an opportunity to uncover crucial details, find creative case strategies, and think of out-of-the-box settlement offers. By applying curiosity to decision-making and leadership, lawyers can explore and understand all aspects of a situation before making a decision or advising a client.
Creativity: is the capacity to think, act, and respond in innovative and flexible ways. Creativity allows for the development of new solutions and strategies for internal and external challenges, enhancing adaptability and resilience. Applying creativity to decision-making or leadership allows us to brainstorm innovative solutions, thereby helping to resolve cases and also infusing a sense of novelty and vitality in work, preventing burnout over the long haul.
Confidence: is the cognitive, emotional, and physiological sense of “I’ve got this.” Confidence is the recognition that we can trust our own judgment, abilities, and capacity without needing to be in control of the situation or other people. Applying confidence to decision-making and leadership allows us to ruminate less and be more decisive—enabling us to take action when needed. When we are confident, we are able to persuasively present cases, negotiate assertively, inspire trust in clients, and lead effective teams.
Courage: gives us the strength to face and address challenging situations. It helps us appropriately address our own or others’ strong emotions, demanding people or assignments, and unexpected change. When we cultivate courage, we foster a growth mindset and transform our lives and experiences with less fear and angst. Applying courage to decision-making and leadership helps us approach difficult or uncomfortable decisions head-on, rather than avoiding them. Courage also enables us to take on challenging cases and persist in pursuing justice, even when it’s hard.
Connectedness: cultivates a sense of equanimity in relationships—whether it be our relationship with ourselves or with others. Connectedness enhances teamwork and collaboration within a law firm, the broader legal community, and with clients. By fostering a sense of connectedness in decision-making, we can regard opposing views within ourselves (for example, one part of us that wants to take a case and another part that doesn’t) and build stronger, more satisfying relationships, work more cohesively with teams, exhibit greater professionalism with opposing counsel and judges, and cultivate a supportive and rewarding work environment.
Applying the “8 Cs” to a Case Study
Let’s walk through an example of applying the “8 Cs” to illustrate how approaching decision-making with the “8 Cs” results in a more favorable outcome for both the individual attorney making the choice and those impacted by the decision. Note that the “Cs” can be applied in any order, and often spontaneously arise in unique sequences in different situations.
Manuel is working on matters for four different partners at his firm. At times, he feels overwhelmed with what’s on his plate; at other times, he feels panicked because he is low on his billable hours. The firm has a flexible “work from home” policy; Manuel usually works in the office three days a week. Next month, Manuel is going on vacation in the Bahamas with his partner, Avery, for a week.
This month has been busy for his team, and Manuel is not sure if he should tell anyone at the firm (or the four partners, specifically) that he will be on vacation for the week. He’s contemplating saying he’s working from home for the week and trying to keep up with email communications and requests while he’s away. One part of Manuel is worried about being perceived as ineffective and not a “team player” if he goes incommunicado for the week, especially since the team needs him right now. Another part is worried that taking a week off may impact his desirability for future assignments when work slows down. Another part of Manuel is convinced he can keep up with the matters he’s assigned while he’s in the Bahamas and still have some time to relax. Another part of him knows he is tired, needs a break, and wants to completely unplug for the week. And yet another part is concerned about getting caught omitting the fact that he’s in the Bahamas and not technically “working from home.” Manuel recently took a training on the IFS “8 Cs” of the Self Leadership model and decides to apply the framework to this decision. Let’s see what happens:
Calm: Manuel has been ruminating on what to do for weeks and can’t land on the “right” decision. He asks himself, “What would it feel like to pause and calm down so I can apply the ‘8 Cs’ to this situation?” Manuel shuts the door to his office, closes his eyes, and focuses solely on his breathing for five minutes. As he does this, he becomes aware of the tightness he feels in his stomach because he is putting his integrity at stake. Manuel sighs, sensing that honesty is a core value for him and that hiding doesn’t feel good.
Compassion: While Manuel is sorting out what to do, he asks himself, “How can I turn an understanding lens toward myself and others in this situation?” He tries it out by saying to himself, “This is hard. It makes sense to me that I’m conflicted. I’m a responsible person and I want my team to know I’m good at my job and I care about showing up. I also have been working really hard and I need a break.” He lets out a long exhale. Manuel then turns his understanding toward his colleagues and thinks, “They work hard, too. I don’t want them to have to wait if my work is delayed when I’m out scuba diving for the day. I also want them to feel like they can really ‘check out’ when it’s their turn to go on vacation.” Then Manuel turns his compassion toward his partner Avery and thinks, “I don’t want to be distracted on this vacation. That wouldn’t be very fun for Avery; it feels sad to think of doing that.” Manuel feels his stomach relaxing.
Clarity: As Manuel pauses to integrate his thoughts and feelings, he asks himself, “Am I accurately perceiving myself and others in this situation?” It becomes clear to him that while he is an important part of the team, the team is capable of handling things for a week without his help. He also realizes that his work is timely and high quality, and it’s not likely that the partners will forgo giving him work in the future if he takes a week off now. Manuel starts to feel lighter. He realizes that his best option is to be upfront about being in the Bahamas, set boundaries around communication with the team when he’s on vacation, and figure out a plan for getting his assignments handled while he’s away. He feels his shoulders lighten as the clarity emerges.
Curiosity: While Manuel starts feeling relief, he evokes curiosity and asks himself, “What is the boundary I want to set around communication from my colleagues when I’m out of town?” He realizes that he wants to find a middle ground for all of his parts: the part of him that wants to be a team player, the part of him that needs a break, and the part of him who wants to be present with Avery in the Bahamas. He ponders, “How can I invest in the cases, my team, my partnership, and myself with foresight and initiative?” As Manuel gets curious about finding a solution, he feels his heart beating a little faster, excited to find a solution. He realizes that it would be ideal to be completely off of work email while he’s away, but that he would welcome texts from team members if an urgent client matter arises.
Creativity: Manuel considers how to approach the needed communications with creativity. He realizes that he’s never talked with Avery about work boundaries when they’re on vacation together—that would be novel! He also discerns that he can state his vacation communication preferences to his team members and ask for their input. Manuel realizes that in doing so, he might set a helpful precedent about communicating preferred boundaries for others when they go on vacation, and that feels satisfying.
Confidence: Manuel thinks about having these conversations with his team members and with Avery and feels his throat get tight. He asks himself, “What am I capable of doing well here?” He remembers a time when he successfully communicated and set a difficult boundary in the past, and says aloud, “I did it well then: I can do it well now. I’ve got this.” He feels his throat relax and swallows.
Courage: As Manuel’s confidence rises, he feels his chest opening and his shoulder blades relaxing down his back. He decides to draft an email right then and there to his team members and to each of the four partners about his upcoming trip and his preferred boundaries. When he’s done drafting the emails, he pauses to stretch and yawn. He then sends a text to Avery to see if they can discuss vacation work boundaries after dinner that night.
Connectedness: Before sending the emails, Manuel checks to see if his words convey a sense of collaboration and cultivate connection while also being clear about his own needs and capacities when on vacation. He asks himself, “How would I respond if I received this email?” He then tweaks a few things, remembering to convey his openness to hear input from the email recipient. After sending the emails, Manuel breathes a sigh of relief. He reflects that, while stopping to pause and work through the “8 Cs” during his workday initially felt burdensome, he realizes it didn’t actually take much time. He is looking forward to the night ahead and realizes what a relief it will be to have extra energy for his conversation with Avery, as he won’t be ruminating about what to say to the firm. Whew!
One “C” at a Time
By integrating the principles of IFS’s “8 Cs” into our professional lives, attorneys and firms can enhance not only our individual leadership skills and well-being, but also foster a more cohesive, resilient, and productive organizational culture. The IFS model cultivates a mindset that empowers us to lead from our true and best selves, resulting in improved decision-making, more satisfying client relationships, and greater overall job satisfaction. Reading Dr. Schwartz’s book, No Bad Parts, can help flesh out the principles of the IFS model in greater depth.
The next time you have a decision to make, try processing it through the lens of one or more of the “Cs” of Self-Leadership. As you apply the “8 Cs” to your decision-making and case strategies, as well as to your interactions with yourself and others, notice if it helps you to feel more aligned with your core values. Simultaneously, as you cultivate the “8 Cs,” you may find that you naturally begin enjoying your professional life even more as you trade out anxiety for calmness; confusion for clarity; rigidity for curiosity; judgment for compassion; self-doubt for self-confidence; fear for courage; unimaginative for creativity; and disconnection for connectedness. What does it feel like to be a lawyer and lead from that kind of Self?
Laura Mahr is a North Carolina and Oregon lawyer and the founder of Conscious Legal Minds LLC, providing well-being consulting, training, and resilience coaching for attorneys and law offices nationwide. Through the lens of neurobiology, Laura helps build strong leaders, happy lawyers, and effective teams. Her work is informed by 13 years of practice as a civil sexual assault attorney, 25 years as a teacher and student of mindfulness and yoga, and eight years studying neurobiology and neuropsychology with clinical pioneers. Laura has been applying the IFS “8 Cs” model to her training, coaching, and consulting since receiving her IFS Level One certification in 2017. If you are interested in learning more about Laura’s CLE offerings that grow your team’s confidence and build resilience through the IFS model, contact her through consciouslegalminds.com
Endnotes
2. bit.ly/3zPQLwU.
