Sitting down with Lara Wentworth, former lawyer turned coach and founder of Coaching Advocates, was a timely reminder that many in the legal profession spend years occupying a chair that doesn’t quite fit. Lara’s journey from legal practice to coaching is a testament to the value of self-discovery and the courage to carve out a new path. Through Coaching Advocates, she has created a space where lawyers can seek clarity, direction and genuine growth, guided by coaches who have walked the same path and understand the unique challenges of the profession.

Our conversation explores the real difference between mentoring and coaching. While mentoring is often about offering advice, coaching is about facilitating self-reflection and unlocking potential. Lara emphasises the importance of accredited coaching, ensuring that lawyers receive support from those who not only understand the law but are also trained to guide meaningful change. We discussed the perfectionism that is so common among lawyers and how coaching can help address the deep-seated beliefs and behaviours that hold people back, fostering resilience and a healthier approach to both career and life.

What resonated most was the growing recognition that well-being and professional success go hand in hand. Lara’s work, including her podcast The Speed Coach, is helping to demystify coaching for lawyers and encourage the profession to embrace new ways of working and thinking. In a legal world where career paths are no longer linear, finding your own chair and having the right support to do so has never been more important. If you are feeling out of place in your current role, perhaps it is time to consider what coaching could unlock for you.

Links:

https://www.larawentworth.com.au/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lara-wentworth-265864b5/

https://coachingadvocates.com/legal-career-accelerator/

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I recently sat down with Shannon Fentiman, Former Queensland Attorney-General, Queensland’s Shadow Treasurer, Shadow Minister for Women and Member for Waterford since 2015. Shannon’s journey from employment lawyer and community advocate to holding some of the state’s most significant ministerial portfolios is a masterclass in purpose-driven leadership. Raised on the Gold Coast and deeply committed to social justice, Shannon has always called Queensland home. Her early influences, a family of strong women and a pioneering aunt in the legal field, set her on a path to fight discrimination and unfairness, both in the workplace and the wider community.

Shannon’s legal background, with degrees from QUT and the University of Melbourne, provided a strong foundation for her political career. Before entering Parliament, she worked as an employment lawyer and volunteered with organisations such as the Centre Against Sexual Violence and the Centre for Women in Logan. Her ministerial experience is extensive, having served as Attorney General, Minister for Child Safety, Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Small Business, Employment and Training and Health. Throughout, Shannon has been at the forefront of major reforms, including the Women’s Safety and Justice Task Force and voluntary assisted dying legislation. She spoke candidly about how her legal training sharpened her negotiation skills and ability to navigate the emotional and practical complexities of policy reform. Empathy, she noted, is central to her leadership, an approach shaped by her years of community work and her commitment to visibility and compassion in public life.

Now serving in opposition, Shannon reflected on the transition from government to holding government to account. While the pace may be different, she’s found space for reflection, critical thinking and personal renewal, balancing family time and personal pursuits with her ongoing passion for policy and reform. Our conversation was a powerful reminder of the impact empathetic, principled leadership can have on both legal and political landscapes and left me inspired by Shannon’s clarity of purpose and optimism for the future.

Links:

https://www.shannonfentiman.com/

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As my second Christmas as a mediator approaches, I’ve found myself reflecting on the lessons and surprises this role has brought. Transitioning from lawyer to mediator has required new skills, a different mindset and a willingness to keep learning. Today I’m sharing some of my key reflections so far.

The most striking realisation has been that mediation is its own discipline, distinct from legal practice. Even after years of acting as an advocate in mediations, stepping into the mediator’s chair revealed how much dedicated training and feedback matter. Building trust and rapport is at the heart of the process. Credibility helps but it’s the relationships formed with lawyers and clients, often during those quieter moments, that make the work meaningful and productive. Patience and optimism are indispensable, especially when negotiations stall or doubts creep in. I’ve learned that maintaining a positive, solution-focused mindset can keep everyone moving forward, even when energy in the room is flagging.

Emotional intelligence sits at the core of effective mediation and recognising the emotional currents that run beneath the surface is essential. It’s about helping participants acknowledge these feelings of fear, frustration and uncertainty without letting them derail the process. Preparation is also vital, though it looks different from advocacy. Mediators must know the issues and the people but also remain flexible and ready to adapt as dynamics shift.

Three common mistakes I see in approaching negotiations include insufficient preparation, an over-formal approach that misses the more collaborative tone of mediation and treating negotiation as a mere platform for argument rather than a process of mutual discovery. I’m grateful to the legal community for the encouragement and support during this career transition and I look forward to more opportunities to learn and collaborate in the coming year. Wishing everyone a restful Christmas and a positive start to the new year.

Links:

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My conversation with Joel Barolsky, a strategic advisor with over 30 years of experience at the intersection of law and business, reveals why understanding market dynamics matters more than ever for legal professionals. Joel is the driving force behind Barolsky Advisors, a fellow at Melbourne Law School teaching the business of law and works internationally through Edge Consultancy while contributing to Thomson Reuters reports on the Australian legal market. His journey into the legal industry began unexpectedly through Melbourne Business School and consultancy rather than legal practice, proving that the most valuable industry perspectives often come from unconventional paths.

In this episode, we explore the current state of the Australian legal services market, including the rise of mega firms, the resilience of mid-tier players and whether the narrative of global firms infiltrating our market holds true. Joel's analysis challenges common assumptions, characterising market changes as more ebb and flow than widespread takeover. Our discussion ventures into private equity's potential role in Australian law firms and whether mid-tier firms might follow the UK model, the nuanced territory where law firms are competing with consulting services, and Joel's framework for understanding why some firms flourish whilst others flounder. Key factors like clear strategy, strong culture and effective leadership emerged as the differentiators between high performers and those struggling to find their footing.

Our conversation also tackled generative AI's potential to reshape the industry through pricing disruptions and efficiency improvements. Joel remains cautiously optimistic, suggesting that whilst commoditisation might affect some areas, the nuanced human elements of law remain irreplaceable. His forecasts for 2030 and insights into why Australian law firms' agility and leadership position them favourably on the global stage offer encouraging perspectives for the profession's future. For anyone interested in the business of law and where the profession is heading, this conversation provides essential strategic insights.

Links:

https://www.barolskyadvisors.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelbarolsky/

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My conversation with Dee Madigan, co-founder of Campaign Edge and a recognised force in advertising and political campaigns, revealed fascinating parallels between persuasion in advertising, politics, and legal practice. After teaching and stint in property, a chance pub encounter with advertising professionals pivoted her career entirely. She initially viewed advertising as "artistic prostitution," a characteristically candid assessment that captures her humorous, no-nonsense approach. What transformed her perspective was the realisation that advertising, particularly political campaigning, could serve purposes beyond selling products.

The gender dynamics in creative industries formed a compelling part of our discussion. While Dee acknowledges the industry has changed, she remains concerned about women's long-term career prospects, particularly regarding flexible work arrangements that may inadvertently impact visibility and advancement.

We explored why negative political advertisements remain effective despite public aversion. These ads stick in voters' minds longer and stimulate emotional responses crucial for engaging disengaged swing voters. This insight resonates deeply with litigation strategy, where framing arguments around what clients stand to lose often proves more compelling than emphasising what they might gain.

Our discussion of modern work practices revealed Dee's nuanced perspective on remote working. She points out the visibility issue that comes with working from home, particularly for women and how it affects career progression. While acknowledging the work-life balance benefits today's workforce enjoys, Dee warns of potential long-term career impacts and emphasises the importance of in-office collaboration for skill development.

I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Dee. Whether it’s in advertising, politics, or law, we agreed that success hinges on understanding human emotion, making persuasive cases and maintaining integrity while pursuing ambitious goals.

Links:

https://campaignedge.com.au/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dee-madigan-73521318/

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My conversation with Deborah Mazoudier, a tendering expert I've worked alongside for over two decades, revealed why so many organisations struggle with competitive bids: they fundamentally misunderstand what tendering requires. Deb's transition from legal career to tender specialist began in 2000 within international aid, where she discovered her talent for winning bids and eventually built Tender Plus into a national enterprise. What strikes me most about Deb's approach is her belief that tendering is fundamentally an exercise in empathy, requiring deep understanding of client needs rather than reliance on broad statements or generic value propositions.

One critical insight from our discussion was the persistent misconception that tendering is merely administrative work. Deb advocates passionately for recognising tender specialists as strategic assets whose skillsets encompass strategic planning, project management, and persuasive communication. The most common failing in tender responses is lack of specificity, when organisations articulate what they do rather than demonstrating the actual benefits clients will receive. While acknowledging technological advancements in AI, Deb maintains that the human element remains irreplaceable in tendering. AI can support the process but it cannot replicate the nuanced understanding and relational dynamics that human specialists bring to aligning responses with client objectives.

Working with Deb has fundamentally shaped my understanding of client engagement and strategic communication. Her guidance taught me that success in competitive bidding requires the same discipline we apply to legal practice. This means meticulous attention to client needs, precise articulation of value and strategic positioning that differentiates rather than homogenises. For professionals in legal services and beyond, these insights are increasingly crucial as tendering becomes standard practice for securing significant engagements.

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-mazoudier

https://www.tenderplusconsulting.com.au/

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My conversation with Steve Simpson, a veteran expert in workplace culture, challenged everything I thought I understood about organisational dynamics. Steve's concept of Unwritten Ground Rules (UGRs) cuts through the polished rhetoric of values statements and glossy brochures to reveal what actually happens within organisations.

UGRs capture the naturally occurring behaviours and perceptions that truly shape workplace culture. It’s the real-time dynamics that newcomers absorb when colleagues say, "What really happens around here is..." In professional services, these UGRs are particularly vivid and often problematic: poor behaviour tolerated if you're a high revenue generator, voices that matter only after climbing several rungs on the corporate ladder, hierarchies and tolerances that directly contradict stated values. Steve suggests that these unspoken rules can be more powerful than leadership itself. Leaders come and go but deeply entrenched UGRs persist, shaping behaviour regardless of who's nominally in charge.

The intersection of safety protocols and UGRs proved particularly compelling in our discussion. Steve's work in the aviation sector revealed how strong safety culture rhetoric often masks UGRs like "Around here, safety is a tick-box exercise." This disconnect between aspiration and reality exists across industries and functions, from safety compliance to diversity initiatives to client service standards. The path to realignment requires honest awareness of existing UGRs, which often differ drastically from stated values. Steve's methodology involves crafting clear "lead-in sentences" that open authentic dialogue which enables organisations to measure cultural health effectively rather than relying on sanitised engagement surveys.

What defines great culture, according to Steve, is remarkably simple: alignment between aspirational culture and actual UGRs. Transformative change occurs when there's minimal discrepancy between what organisations profess and what they do. Having witnessed firsthand how compelling this focus on UGRs can be, I'm convinced this methodology should be central to any serious cultural assessment and realignment effort. For leaders in professional services and beyond, Steve's work offers a framework for confronting uncomfortable truths about organisational culture, an essential first step toward genuine transformation.

Links:

https://steve-simpson.com/

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Most leaders can sense when something's off in their organisation. Talented people stay silent in meetings, innovation stalls, stress becomes the unspoken norm. My conversation with Carolyn Grant illuminated two concepts reshaping how we think about workplace performance: psychological safety and psychosocial risk management.

Carolyn Grant is the founder and CEO of People Plus Science, where she combines her expertise in human and organisational behaviour, neuroscience and research to help organisations thrive. A perpetual student of behavioural science, Carolyn believes that continual research and product development are fundamental to sustainable organisational success.

While psychological safety and psychosocial risk management might sound like corporate jargon, they represent fundamental shifts in how organisations must operate to remain competitive and compliant. Psychological safety creates environments where team members feel secure voicing ideas, asking questions, and challenging assumptions without fear of humiliation or punishment. This isn't about creating comfortable spaces that avoid difficult conversations. In fact it’s quite the opposite. Carolyn emphasised that genuine psychological safety requires accountability and intellectual friction, the kind that drives breakthroughs rather than stifles them.

Psychosocial hazards represent the other side of this equation. These are the workplace elements that cause stress, whether tied to management styles, job autonomy, or personal factors like financial strain. The research reveals what effective leaders instinctively understand: trust forms the foundation of everything else. Without trust, change management fails, communication breaks down, and performance suffers.

The critical insight from our discussion is that addressing these factors requires genuine commitment beyond superficial solutions. Carolyn cautioned against treating social events as remedies when deeper issues like bullying or low trust exist. Real improvement demands focusing resources where they'll achieve the greatest impact and address fundamental issues rather than treating the symptoms.

Links:

https://peopleplusscience.com/

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