on blogging, leadership and community spirit
Blogging is a boon to me in so many ways. It gives me a wonderful avenue for engaging and sharing my own and others’ thoughts on optimizing the practice of law. It allows me to express and experience how my life as a lawyer intersects with the values I hold most dear. And it exposes me to a host of powerful and inspiring ideas for cultivating a meaningful career.
Another great boon is the network of people I've met through the blog. While some of these people remain virtual friends, others have crossed the cyber border for real-time interaction.
Last week, I had the pleasure of presenting a program at fellow blogger Mark Beese’s Colorado law firm, Holland & Hart. Mark set the tone for a terrific, interactive session with a warm and welcoming introduction that included a nice ping for my blog. On this same trip, I met with Stephanie West Allen, who writes about many interesting aspects of lawyering at her blog, idealawg. Stephanie recently interviewed me for her regular Legal Highlights feature.
The blog-fostered connection continued with an invitation from fellow blogger, coach and author Rosa Say to contribute to her Ho’ike’ike 2006 (blog forum) on leadership. This was a gem of an opportunity to join in a community of like-minded thinkers by sharing my views on leadership in the law. You can check out all the thought-provoking leadership forum contributions at Rosa’s excellent blog, Talking Story.
I really enjoyed the sense of kinship that came from answering Rosa’s call to action. But it was her generosity of spirit – her spirit of aloha - that really touched me. Soon after submitting my post for the forum roundup, I received two fabulous gifts from Rosa – twin copies of her highly regarded book on business management, Managing with Aloha. It was clear that these were gifts from the heart. Rosa inscribed one copy with a personal note to me and my wife, Lori. The other copy is, in Rosa’s words, “to share.”
Sharing, community and connection – all attributes that Rosa Say personifies – form the triad of influences that keep me blogging along.
