I've spent 10 years as a barrister in litigation, 16 years in mediation rooms and 6 years advising barristers, senior lawyers and law firms on leadership and high performance under pressure, and I see the same beliefs every time.

"Leadership is about control, not connection." 
"I'm not a leader unless I have a title." 
"Asking for help is a sign of weakness."

So you don't ask. 
You carry it all yourself.
And call that being a leader in law.

That's not leadership. 
That's self-preservation with a lawyer's title.

Someone's officially named captain on a team. 

But anyone who's played team sport knows the real leader in that dressing room or on the field isn't always the one with the title. 
It's who the team trusts when things go wrong, or they need direction. 

That trust doesn't come with the title. 
It's built, game after game, under pressure by decisions made, role modelling the standards, using your judgement and more...

82% of the time, organisations promote the wrong person into leadership, not because they lack talent, but because they're promoted on legal skill and tenure, not whether they can lead.

Nobody ever taught you the other 50% of your job that makes people trust you as a leader. 

You were just expected to already have it based on your legal skills and experience.

You're an expert lawyer. That was never the question. 

But you were never just a lawyer; you're a leader, expected to lead effectively, but armed only with legal skill and experience.

See what most senior lawyers in leadership roles don't see coming HERE