At
LMA26,
inspiration
showed
up
in
candid
conversations,
thoughtful
questions,
and
moments
that
led
attendees
to
rethink
how
they
lead,
connect,
and
create
impact
in
their
organizations.
These
lightbulb
moments
are
often
one
of
the
more
enduring
outcomes
of
attending
the
LMA
Annual
Conference,
second
only
to
the
connections
and
lifelong
friendships
made.
In
a
profession
shaped
by
rapid
change,
the
human
element
remains
our
greatest
differentiator.
The
takeaways
below
reflect
what
stayed
with
attendees:
the
power
of
connection,
the
importance
of
self-awareness
and
diversity,
and
the
value
of
investing
intentionally
in
relationships.
Together,
these
insights
offer
a
glimpse
of
what
can
shape
the
second
half
of
the
year
for
the
LMA
community.
Building
Your
Board
of
Directors
I attended
the
Solo/Small
Team
pre-con,
and
one
of
the
sessions
that
really
stuck
with
me
was
about
building
your
own
“personal
board
of
directors”
—
a
group
of
people
you
trust
to
give
advice,
challenge
your
thinking,
and
help
you
navigate
different
parts
of
your
career.
The
biggest
takeaway
for
me
was
that
having
a
large
network
and
having
a
true
personal
board
are
two
very
different
things.
Your
board
should
include
people
with
different
perspectives
and
experiences
who
will
be
honest
with
you
and
push
you
to
think
differently.
The
session
also
talked
about
identifying
areas
where
you
feel
underinformed
and
intentionally
reaching
out
to
people
to
learn
more.
Something
as
simple
as
saying,
“I’d
love
to
learn
more
about
this
—
what
can
you
tell
me?”
can
open
a
lot
of
doors.
It
was
also
a
good
reminder
that
building
these
relationships
requires
a
mindset
shift:
being
willing
to
ask
questions,
admit
when
you
don’t
know
something,
and
be
honest
and
vulnerable.
One
of
my
favorite
points
from
the
session
was
flipping
the
question
from
“Who
can
help
me?”
to
“Whose
board
can
I
be
on?”
—Jen
Gault,
Strauss
Troy
The
Need
for
Diversity
Remains
Strong
Despite
the
transformation
of
many
firms
away
from
Mansfield
and
DEI,
the
underscored
importance
of
diversity
in
lateral
hiring,
pitching
and
proposing,
and
need
has
not
gone
away,
because
in-house
counsel
demand
it
in
one
form
or
another.
Whether
at
the
local
or
international
level,
capability
is
tested
by
the
experience,
expertise,
and
makeup
of
the
teams
that
firms
put
forward
to
handle
transactions
and
disputes.
—Mohib
Qidwai,
BCLP
Legal
Marketers
as
Connectors
Connection
is
the
most
critical
part
of
our
role.
Whether
we
are
connecting
laterals
and
firm
attorneys,
data
and
systems,
or
our
own
team,
our
goal
should
be
to
identify
how
we
can
make
connections
that
better
the
firm
and
individuals
within
the
organization.
—Sarah
Blanchard,
Jones
Walker
LLP
Know
Thyself
Self-awareness
is
crucial
for
leaders
because
you
can’t
see
how
you
impact
others
if
you
don’t
see
yourself.
—Bianca
Reyes,
Duane
Morris
LLP
Attending
vs.
Participating
There
is
so
much
power
in
community.
LMA26
brought
our
entire
legal
marketing
community
together;
the
addition
of
the
senior
leaders/second
chair
community
pre-con
and
additional
sessions
on
days
two
and
three
were
so
impactful
for
those
who
participated.
There
is
a
distinction
between
showing
up
and
attending
in
community
and
participating
in
community.
I
appreciate
the
opportunity
to
participate
with
this
senior
leader
community
at
LMA26
and
encourage
LMA
to
continue
to
foster
this
segment
of
our
membership.
It
was
reinforced
throughout
that
the
human
element
remains
the
differentiator
in
our
disruptive,
rapidly
changing
world.
Continued
investment
in
this
pursuit
will
benefit
leaders
in
this
pole
position,
as
well
as
the
leaders
that
they
develop
for
the
future.
—Amy
Verhulst,
Jackson
Lewis
P.C.
Special
thanks
to
the
LMA26
attendees
who
shared
their
thoughts
with
us. Take
a
look
back
at
the
moments
that
made
LMA26
in
New
Orleans
so
special
in
our
photo
album: https://hubs.li/Q04ftTS90