Lessons in leadership fill library shelves but some of the best books might be filed under “sports.” That’s where Emily Cantwell found legendary basketball coach Phil Jackson.
I was named the first female partner in charge of the St. Louis office of Lathrop GPM LLP in January 2022 as I was preparing for a trial. At the time, I was 36 and in my fourth year of partnership.
Although I felt honored with the task, I also had a healthy amount of trepidation. In candor, when I heard the news, my initial thought was, “I think I’m going to be sick.”
As I moved a stack of banker's boxes into my car in my firm’s parking garage, I pondered whether I was ready and capable. I wondered, “Can I do this? Am I too young? Am I the right person?”
While many articles indicate such thoughts are more prevalent in women than men, I couldn’t help but wonder — maybe women can more readily admit to such ideas?
As I settled into my leadership position, I became acutely aware that I would be leading those younger than me, in some instances by more than a decade (so long to my tried-and-true pop culture references); at the same time, I would also be leading other colleagues who were decades older (whose pop culture references were, admittedly, faded to my understanding). And so, I began the process of leading up.
Leading up is summarized by Michael Useem as “instead of motivating those below, we must now also muster those above; instead of just learning from those above, we must listen to those below.” It occurs in every industry, and in offices around the world.
I have tried to take a team-like approach to my leadership to engender this leading-up concept. After the trial, I read Phil Jacksons’ "Eleven Rings," highlighting in neon yellow certain key passages (I am a lawyer, after all) and dog-earring concepts that proved so valuable with Jackson's numerous teams of varied personalities that I thought could be brought down to a more micro level.
I have tried to incorporate Jackson’s concept of equality at the table (a nod from King Arthur), where everyone sits in a position of equality that does not give spatial prominence to one over another. I challenged everyone in the office to take ownership in the forward progression of our firm. I also asked everyone to be honest about their feelings to encourage transparency and genuine connection to one another.
While I did not lack self-confidence, I routinely sought the advice of others (both above and below me). I sought their input when making decisions for the office, whether it be questions on recruitment, networking, or even interior design choices ahead of our move in summer 2024.
I hope that by leading up, I can continue to foster a team-like atmosphere in the office, which would help the firm thrive. Given I’m only in my second season, the work remains ongoing, and I’ll continue leading up along the way.
In Her Own Words is a daily Bizwomen feature compiled and edited by Ellen Sherberg and written by individual contributors. If you would like to contribute to this ongoing narrative, please send an e-mail to ESherberg@bizjournals.com.