Lawyer Monthly - September 2022

You have spoken before about a ‘confidence crisis’ among the legal profession. Can you please tell us more about this? The Confidence Crisis is one of the most under-recognised concerns in the legal profession at the moment. It first became apparent when I was coaching legal professionals to overcome burnout. I started to see similarities in the concerns my clients would tell me, which all focused on a loss or erosion of inner confidence coupled with increased performance anxiety. Once I had addressed the burnout concerns, the next hurdle for my clients to reach peak personal and professional performance was to address their 'confidence crisis’. The confidence crisis can be challenging to spot, as so many suffering from it are outwardly successful but battling a crisis of confidence inside, often on their own and feeling quite lonely or even ‘embarrassed to admit it’ while going through it. The last few years have also exacerbated the issues, as many feel more isolated from their peers and navigate more uncertain times than ever. Their meaningful networks that would previously provide feedback are shrinking. The growing distance between colleagues creates an environment where law professionals are unsure they are making the right decisions, which has only been made worse with The Great Resignation, which led to depleted teams. Many legal professionals are putting in a lot of effort to maintain poise and composure on the outside, but are faced with a negative internal dialogue of worry, self-doubt and even frequent ‘impostor syndrome’. How can a lack of confidence manifest in a lawyer and affect their work? One of the most common times a confidence crisis manifests in a lawyer’s career is when senior associates are on the partnership track. Their worries and The Leading Lawyers Confidence Crisis 62 LAWYERMONTHLY SEPTEMBER 2022 Lawyers now work in a more distanced environment than ever, with less access to the support networks that were once a daily fact of their careers. Compounded by a wave of resignations and greater pressure to perform at their utmost, many senior lawyers face a heavy mental burden – particularly those aspiring to partnership. Together with wellness coach Charlène Gisèle Bourliout, we discuss what can be done to address this growing confidence crisis. Expert Insight

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