James Dolan

February 10, 2010 | Law.com

Lawyers who represent clients and their firms well may be rewarded with a leadership position. Herein lies the problem. Most lawyers, like most human beings, are not natural leaders. Consultant James Dolan discusses how all leaders, natural or not, can become more effective.

By James Dolan

5 minute read

March 03, 2010 | New Jersey Law Journal

Whether those who are in or aspire to positions of formal firm leadership are natural leaders or not, they can become effective in their roles. Self-knowledge and willingness to break out of patterns that feel most natural are critical to success.

By James Dolan

5 minute read

October 20, 2008 | Texas Lawyer

Feuds and fiefdoms exist everywhere in firms big, medium and small. They are omnipresent, because human beings run firms. It is human nature to have difficulty living together under one roof, whether as spouses, families or professional services firms, and it is human nature to do what Carl Jung called individuation.

By James Dolan, M.A.

6 minute read

January 29, 2010 | The Recorder

If you're not a born leader, you can still teach yourself to be an effective one.

By James Dolan

5 minute read

August 24, 2009 | Texas Lawyer

While no one can know what the suicidal think in their last few moments, when there is still time to rescue their futures and spare their families and friends enormous suffering, many think they are solving a problem. The problem they perceive is their own existence, but their reckoning of their worth is always terribly skewed. Lawyers, high achievers who place enormous value on successful competition, are especially vulnerable to this erroneous calculation

By James Dolan

6 minute read

October 25, 2010 | Texas Lawyer

Integrity is a quality on which public discourse has focused recently, says James Dolan. Understanding the word's uses and misuses can help attorneys as they seek to navigate the sometimes tricky interpersonal relationships at their firms, he says.

By James Dolan

5 minute read

April 19, 2010 | Texas Lawyer

The years 2008 and 2009 were gruesome. The recession scythed off staff, associates and partners, but Kathryn had survived it all. The firm was down to fighting weight, and she had received a modest bonus in December. New business litigation was on the uptick in January. As head of her practice group, her business-development work was paying off with presentations for big clients coming up soon. It was time for the unthinkable: asking for a raise.

By James Dolan

6 minute read

February 15, 2008 | New Jersey Law Journal

The mentoring relationship can be rewarding and growth-enhancing for both sides. How can lawyers receive the benefits of mentoring and being mentored while minimizing the risks?

By James Dolan

6 minute read

January 21, 2008 | Texas Lawyer

The mentoring relationship most often begins altruistically and sometimes, but certainly not always, comes to a painful end. There are missteps along the way, but the mentoring relationship can be rewarding and growth-enhancing for both sides.

By James Dolan

6 minute read

February 02, 2009 | Texas Lawyer

The moments of greatest success also are the moments of greatest vulnerability, says James Dolan, a professional coach and psychotherapist. It takes self-awareness and humility not to fall prey to the inherent traps of success, he says. A willingness always to have at hand an objective voice, a friend, a coach, a spouse, a partner can prevent a great deal of suffering.

By James Dolan

8 minute read