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    Archive for May, 2014
    The Einstein Principle!
    Tuesday, May 27th, 2014

    Albert Einstein
    I got an idea and it’s really bright
    Somebody in my brain just turned on the light…

    Lyrics, music and recorded by Avias.

    albert-einstein-quotes-styles-funny_4908482892923247

    This is another great leadership post from Beth Flynn at the THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP CENTER (www.leadershipcenter.osu.edu).

    This post highlights the principles that helped shaped Albert Einstein into a leader and successful scientist. They are taken from Smithson, D. (2014). What managers don’t know: how to be a better manager, leader, and entrepreneur?  Theinformbook.com

    “Many people think that Einstein was just a simple scientist who went about formulating the laws that govern the Universe, but he was so much more than that.

    Apart from being the man who had the greatest single impact on the advancement of our understanding of the laws that govern the physical universe, Einstein was also a philosopher king!  Following are some of his musings (ESP), along with how they can relate to your business.

    ESP 1: ‘The search for truth is more precious than its possession.’ This of course links back into the idea that you should never stop learning, asking questions so that you can learn.

    ESP 2:  ‘Imagination is more important that knowledge.’ This ESP is one of those ideas that has no direct application, but is such a powerful belief to install within your psyche; it can influence everything you do.

    ESP 3: ‘No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong.’  In science, nothing is ever 100% true.  Think about that axiom.  True science merely posits a theorem that should be successful tested and validated by other independent scientists, raises up a ranking to being a theory.  This relates to the ideas of leadership.  A leader is often only ever as good as his or her last successful decision.

    ESP 4: ‘Most people say that intellect that makes a great scientist.  They are wrong: it is character.’ Apart from having a brain the size of a planet, Einstein was a man of constant inquisition, determination and almost child-like playfulness.  So whilst you are getting your business qualifications, do so without sacrificing your social and thinking skills.  If you are lacking in some areas, then go outside your comfort zone and learn how to gain those skills.

    ESP 5: ‘It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.’ Einstein was an amazingly humble man, but this typical self-effacing statement reveals much of the secret of his success.  He simply refused to give up.  In everything he did, Einstein took the approach of an outstanding man who wanted to achieve outstanding things.

    ESP 6: ‘You learn the rules of the game.  And then you have to play better than anyone else.’ If you want to become a success you have to first get into the game, and to do that you have to understand what the rules are.  Once you’ve got that locked down, you have to practice and compete constantly – and if necessary, push for a change in the rules!!!

    ESP 7: ‘Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.’

    I have made (and continue to make) mistakes, ranging from minor inconveniences to absolute oh my lord pass me on a gun now! But I never stop trying because I have a very simple philosophy: I never fail, so long as I learn something new (even, as I said, if that something new is a mistake – I won’t ever do that again.

    ESP 8: ‘To stimulate creativity one must develop childlike inclination for play and childlike desire for recognition.’ My outlook on life is simple, I want to experience everything I can before I get to the final destination.

    ESP 9: ‘Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds.’ It is said that we go through three stages of development. First it is met with derision.  Then it is confronted with hostility and aggression.  Finally, it is accepted as playfully self-evident.  This is especially true when your great idea is a challenge to the established way of doing things, or contrary to the idea of the one who sits above you (p. 211-291).”

    WANT TO DISCUSS TODAY’S LEADERSHIP MOMENT?
    Go to the Ohio State Leadership’s blog and share your thoughts, ideas, or answer the questions below.

    • Which of these ESP principles had the biggest impact on you?
    • What are some ways  you can integrate these principles into your work life?

    Thanks Beth for helping us all turn on the light in our brains!

    Posted in Adding Value, Business Development, Change Management, Firm Governance, humour, Issues facing Law Firms, Law Firm Strategy, Leadership and Strategic Planning, personal focus and renewal, Tips, Trends | Permalink | 1 Comment »
    Use an Air Gap for Security
    Thursday, May 22nd, 2014

    ♫  I want security, yeah
    Without it I had a great loss, oh now
    Security, yeah
    And I want it at any cost, oh now…♫

    Lyrics and music by: Margaret Wessen, Otis Redding; recorded by Otis Redding.

    security

    I have been giving a number of presentations lately that in part, deal with the (in)security of law firm systems.  This is based on the findings of the Legal Technology Resource Center of the ABA (“LTRC”) in their 2013 Legal Technology Survey.  They reported that 15% of reporting law firms acknowledged that they had a security leak.  43% reported being infected by a virus, spyware or malware.  Only 53% of firms reporting having a disaster recovery plan in place (these stats cause me to picture a Venn diagram showing those firms that were infected, had a security  leak and those who had a disaster recovery plan and the degree of overlap…or lack thereof…but I digress…)

    Bloomberg reports that China-based hackers target law firms to get secret deal data.  Unfortunately the law firms being hacked were Canadian – and Bloomberg states that they rifled one secure computer system after the next – eventually hitting 7 different law firms as well as the Treasury Board and Canada’s Finance Ministry.

    Bloomberg further states that in a meeting with 200 law firms in New York City with Mary Galligan, head of the cyber division in the New York City office of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and her group: “..the FBI issued a warning to the lawyers: Hackers see attorneys as a back door to the valuable data of their corporate clients.”

    Obviously this column is far too short to deal with this issue in any depth except to help raise awareness and to leave our gentle readers with one technique to protect sensitive communications and data.

    Bruce Schneier is one person that I listen to when he speaks on security.  Bruce has been writing about security issues on his blog since 2004, and in his monthly newsletter since 1998. He writes books, articles, and academic papers. Currently, he is the Chief Technology Officer of Co3 Systems, a fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center, and a board member of EFF.

    Bruce said – if you want to evade NSA (and basically any other spying) then don’t connect to the Internet. OK you say, how is that possible today?  Well Bruce recommends having one computer with an air gap.  This is a physical isolation of a computer (or network of computers) from the internet.  If you want to get really really paranoid – you buy two identical computers, configure one by connecting it to the internet for a little as possible to get it running (and as anonymously as possible), upload those results to a cloud-based anti-virus checker and then transfer the results of that to the air gap computer using a one-way process.  Then once you have the computer configured – never, never ever connect it to the internet again.  Disable the Wi-Fi so it never gets accidentally turned on. Turn off all auto run features.

    Bruce advises transferring files using a writable optical disk (CD or DVD).   You can verify the data written to such a disk. Encrypt EVERYTHING moved on and off that computer (and of course have full hard-drive encryption on this air gapped computer).

    Bruce states that even this is not foolproof.  He has further suggestions in his blog. You can take things even further. Bruce should know – he is looking at Snowden documents. Bruce wants security at any cost…

    (cross-posted to tips.slaw.ca)

    Posted in Issues facing Law Firms, Law Firm Strategy, Technology, Tips | Permalink | No Comments »
    Strategic Planning is Just as Critical for Mid-size and Smaller Firms
    Monday, May 12th, 2014

    ♫ Tell me, where are we going?
    Oh, what’s the future showin’?
    Oh, where are we headed?
    With all that’s goin’ on where are we getting’? ♫

    Lyrics and music by: Larry Mizell, Edward Gordon; recorded by Marvin Gaye.

    Ecommerce SEO Strategies

    This is another guest post by Bob Denney.  It is on a topic near and dear to my heart, namely strategic planning and in particular, SP for smaller firms.

    The legal profession continues to change dramatically. One of the encouraging developments of these changes is that more law firms are recognizing what their corporate clients have known for years: You can’t survive and compete successfully without a Strategic Plan. We have seen the result of this in our practice. Strategic Planning has always been one of our major services. Now, in the last three years, it has become our largest area of practice.

    Unfortunately, there are still come misconceptions about strategic planning, even on the part of people who acknowledge its benefits. One of the most common is that “It’s only for large firms.” This is not so. Strategic planning is just as critical for mid-size and smaller firms because they have fewer resources and must utilize their resources strategically.

    Another encouraging development of the last few years is that mid-size and smaller firms are also recognizing that, while they do not have the resources large firms have, they do have certain advantages over them:

    o Lower or more reasonable fees and rate structures.
    o Lower overhead and expenses.
    o For the most part they provide superior client service.
    o They have highly skilled lawyers, many with substantial books of business, who have left large firms.
    o They are often able to recruit talented law school graduates who are by-passed by the large firms.
    o They have open communication within the firm.
    o They have the ability to make major decisions on a timely basis.

    Strategic Planning is a complex and delicate process which is foreign to many law firms, even some of the largest. It can consume many hours (none of which are billable), generate intense feelings and result in firms setting unattainable objectives. But this does not mean that it is only for large firms. The Managing Partner of a firm which developed its first strategic plan two years ago gave perhaps the best reason of all for mid-size and smaller firms to develop strategic plans:

    “The process we went through was as valuable or even more valuable than the final product we came up with.”
    —Managing Partner, 250-lawyer firm

    Robert Denney Associates, Inc., P.O. Box 551, Wayne, PA 19087-0551 • phone: 610-644-7020 • fax: 610-296-8726 email: bob@robertdenney.com• web site: www.robertdenney.com

    Thanks again Bob for emphasizing the importance of knowing where we are heading with all that is going on…

    Posted in Adding Value, Business Development, Change Management, Firm Governance, Issues facing Law Firms, Law Firm Strategy, Leadership and Strategic Planning, Tips | Permalink | No Comments »