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Counsel to Counsel is a podcast for attorneys who are looking for insights to help increase their overall career satisfaction.  You can find it on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  You can also listen to episodes from this home page.  In each episode, I introduce you to consultants who have been shaping the legal industry and attorneys who have done interesting and sometimes unconventional things with their careers.  My guests will share with you tips on how to achieve greater career and marketing success.

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  2. Episode 174-How Self-Awareness Increases Your Effectiveness in Managing Your Legal Team

Episode 174-How Self-Awareness Increases Your Effectiveness in Managing Your Legal Team

Apr 27, 2026

Self-awareness is an important and often overlooked skill in a lawyer’s toolkit. Personality and behavioral assessments like DISC can be used in a practical, grounded way to help lawyers better understand their strengths, spot blind spots, improve communication, and show up more effectively with clients, colleagues, and prospects.

To unpack how these tools can be used well (and where they can be misused), Steve is joined in this episode by John Kormanik, a Professional Certified Coach who works with lawyers around the world and the author of Break the Law: A Story of a Reimagined Career and a Reclaimed Life. Before launching his coaching practice, John spent more than 20 years as a practicing attorney, including serving as a Deputy Attorney General, working in private practice, and owning and leading his own law firm for 16 years. This experience informs his practical approach to helping lawyers lead with intention.

Key Takeaways:

  • Self-awareness is crucial for lawyers to enhance leadership and client relationships.
  • DISC assessments help improve communication within legal teams.
  • Understanding natural vs. adapted states can help overcome fixed mindsets.
  • Cultural experiences can significantly influence communication styles.
  • Networking and continuous personal evolution are vital for career success.
  • Introverts and extroverts can expand their influence by being authentic.
  • Assessments are tools for awareness, not fixed definitions of personality.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to self-awareness in legal coaching

01:02 - John Kormanik’s career path from attorney to coach

03:16 - How John works with lawyer clients and addressing leadership challenges

05:58 - Embracing international practice and client acquisition

09:11 - Building international networks through events, workshops, and online platforms

13:23 - How legal experience shapes coaching approach and pushing clients

18:39 - Deep dive into DISC components and their application

23:38 - Clarifying DISC components: D, I, S, C

28:56 - Effective moments and applications of assessments in legal practice

35:01 - Continuous growth and the importance of not defining oneself by assessments