Having a trustworthy team around you and your business is invaluable. If you've grown your practice, you probably have an office manager on staff who handles putting out the fires around your firm. But a great office manager may also be someone you can transform into a team leader.

A team leader is a proactive member of your team who can be a part of solving problems rather than putting out fires in a reactive way. Instead of managing tasks, they lead people, which is often more rewarding than managing a task list.

In this episode, Steve speaks with guest Patti Paz about becoming a great team leader in a law firm. Patti began her career as a receptionist in a law firm, eventually transitioned from legal assistant to office manager, and finally became a talented team lead. She is a speaker, created the Team Leader Certification Program for Atticus, is an adjunct practice advisor, and will teach a workshop alongside Steve soon.

Patti shares some secrets to creating a great team leader and why you want someone like her in your practice. You'll also hear how having a team lead in your firm can be a life upgrade when it comes to running your own practice.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Patti Paz"s background as a legal assistant, her transition into an office manager, then paralegal, and what she's doing today as a team leader
• Why team leaders and office managers integrate the cultural habits and processes inside a law firm
• What span of management is and how it can cap growth inside a firm
• What makes a team leader different from an office manager
• Why the attorney needs to empower the team lead and have a united front
• How culture is developed inside of a firm according to the core values and mission statement
• The reason you need to be uncomfortable to grow
• A fixed mindset versus a growth mindset
• Why you should empower your team lead to enforce a minimum price rule in your firm and manage your calendar
• Why the attorney needs to be willing to move things off of the paralegal's desk to become the team lead
• How to accelerate the growth of a team lead
• Why you have to invest money and time to get the change you want
• The biggest payoff attorneys will see by investing in developing a team leader

Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐

If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

Supporting Resources:

• Patti Paz: Practice Advisor & Attorney
• DISC Assessment
• Build My Great Team: Law Firm Staffing with Atticus
• Law Firm Team Leader Certifications
• Mindset by Carol S. Dweck

Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice.

You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.