1: Have a Learning Mindset
The minute you start your job, no matter how much your employer invests in training you, it's not sufficient. You are responsible for your education, not them. You'll see in the guest chapters that each author talks about a book or two that were impactful to them as attorneys.
Reading is power. The internet is awesome. Use it. You are there to learn and everyone knows it. In case you are curious, here are Alex and Jason's most suggested books to read as you are starting out.Alex: The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz.
Why: Early in your career, you will find you are managing people de facto. Perhaps it's a legal secretary, assistant, or paralegal. Maybe you start your own firm. Learn the keys to managing in the context of a small business startup, which most lawyers never do and so law firms are often awful. Plus, from this book you will learn many challenges your clients face and be better positioned to empathize and advise.
Jason: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Law and Strategy by Constance E. Bagley and Craig E. Dauchy.
Why: It's the Cliff Notes to almost every area of law that matters to entrepreneurs with simple and accurate descriptions. If it matters to entrepreneurs (clients), it should matter to you. If you are going into business law, it's a must-read. And yeah, we know it's expensive. It's worth every dollar. Jason says this is the biggest hack of all time to get ahead for business attorneys.
More than just reading books, however, your mindset really matters. You should crave, not tolerate, constructive criticism. You should own and remedy your mistakes. You will make plenty of errors. It's okay. It's part of the process. Lastly, while you are taking feedback, owning mistakes, and fixing them, remember not to lose confidence. You must always keep that “shooters confidence” that no matter how bad things are going, you keep shooting. Think about Michael Jordan or Steph Curry in basketball. They always assume the next shot is going in the bucket.