Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Post

Tactically, morally and by every metric…

After taking a break from social media over the summer, I'm back with the weekly Nice Guy and Gal Awards. I'd love your support to get these back up and running. Every Friday, I’ll share nominations for people who have been identified as nice guys (and gals). If you want to nominate someone, just shoot me a private message by 5:00 EDT on Thursday. There are only 3 requirements: 1) you have to be connected to the person you nominate 2) you can only nominate one person per week 3) you can’t nominate yourself 😀   If you want to provide a brief reason for your selection, that’s great, but it’s not a requirement. Let’s recognize people who make a difference simply by being nice. Have a great day, everyone. And now that we're on the other side of summer, have a great fall, too! https://lnkd.in/gYpYJvu   #network #sportsbiz #people #niceguy #networking #sportsmarketing

How do we reimagine and enable flexibility for frontline workers? How do we care for our staff and stay relevant to their needs and concerns? What role does emerging technology play in optimizing employee experience? What is required to advance frontline workers and leaders? Looking forward to JD Dillon's fireside chat with our own future work and skills strategist Gina Jeneroux, MBA FLPI This global webinar is open to ALL, don't miss out and register below!

In the immortal words of Bon Jovi - “Woah, we’re halfway there…” Halfway through my secondment with Poppyscotland and what a four months it has been. Over those months, there have been many, many, many day… I’ve distilled them into one of the five different types. 1️⃣ a school day: with new areas of IG to learn about (enjoying raffles and regular giving), and reshaping my love of legacies. New techniques for DM, and different ways of working. 2️⃣ a planning day: planning my time to ensure that I can fit it all that is important, and moving aside the bits which I have absolutely ability to change or impact. 3️⃣ a reflection day: talking with those in my network about what I’ve learned, what’s gone well, what hasn’t, and what would I do differently next time… 4️⃣ a prioritising day: understanding that my priorities, really aren’t everyone else’s priorities, and that their priorities really aren’t mine too. With a little caring and sharing still gets the job done! 5️⃣ a “not today Satan” day. Enough said. I’m looking forward to a few more types of days, as I move into months 5, 6, 7 and 8 - there’s a another song on there somewhere….

We all inhabit different identities throughout our day. Perhaps we’re entrepreneurs or employees, mothers or fathers, athletes or CEOs. But how can you harness the strengths of these different identities to get the best out of yourself? And can these different identities be used to get through tough times? Todd Herman calls on more than two decades of experience working with top performers on performance, strategy, mindset, and execution to discuss his thoughts on peak performance, the value of patience, the fear that prevents us from performing our best, imposter syndrome, and how he worked with Kobe Bryant to build the legendary alter-ego of The Black Mamba.

How can you build more confidence? In a word: Adventure! 💃 By definition, an adventure means taking a risk. It’s the key to growth! But when it comes to building confidence, you want to do it in healthy, manageable ways where the stakes are low. Last weekend, I went to the Great Dickens Christmas Fair. It’s a festival where people dress in costume to visit a small recreated section of Victorian London during Christmas time (similar to a Renaissance Fair). There are shops, food vendors, performers, and even characters from famous Dickens novels, like A Christmas Carol. I love dressing up in costume, so going to this festival is really fun for me. But many of the vendors and guests speak with pretend British accents to be more in character. As a former language teacher, this part is challenging because I feel very self-conscious when my accent doesn’t sound correct. But I also know that I won’t get any better at it if I don’t try! My goal was to try using the accent for at least a couple of hours, and I’m pleased to report that I managed to stick with it for most of the day! That’s a big improvement over past years, and it was really fun! What do you do to get out of your comfort zone? #confidencebuilding #confidence

"Has anyone seen the Delaware?" This Independence Day, I was at my parents' house on the Delaware River. Every year the neighbors put on a small parade using their personal cars with July 4th streamers or an ATV or tractor. We then proceed to drive around the neighborhood slowly and wave at a small group of spectators. This year, we shook things up. Mounting a canoe to a boat trailer, the kids and I reenacted George Washington's crossing of the Delaware a mere 200 feet from the river (although miles North of the actual crossing). Not all that hard to create, and it was a certainly a crowd favorite. Here's my big takeaway. With a little creativity and effort, any one of us can turn a normalized event into something more special and memorable. For example, and learning this from a past boss, I occasionally bring root beer floats into a morning meeting to hand out. Not a ton of effort--certainly talked about afterwards. The best leaders I know do three things: 1. Get the job done (a prerequisite to the other two) 2. Make it fun 3. Create memories Sometimes it only takes a little extra effort to make something extraordinary!

opportunity

Story Time! My son is a first-year university student pursuing a double major in Art and Science. At his university, there's a theatre production company that many students aspire to join. Naturally, most students aim for roles in the cast. Despite being a first-year student, he was determined to land a leading role. The system was set up for students to progress over four years, with main roles typically reserved for fourth-year students. Armed with this knowledge, he made it his mission to meet each member of the Board of Directors before auditions began. He ensured they knew his work ethic and what he could bring to the table and took the time to get to know them personally. He nurtured these relationships before and after auditions. He even mentioned that his mother had excellent sewing skills and could assist with costume production, demonstrating his eagerness to contribute in any way possible. He, a first-year student, landed a leading role. Was it his talent? Was it the extra effort he put into showcasing his work ethic? Was it luck? We may never know for sure. But what truly matters is the lesson learned. The story's moral is to seize every opportunity, leave nothing to chance, and create your luck. #Success #Leadership #motivation #Careers #Business