A roadmap for the future: ‘Trust yourself’
As Morgan Lewis associate Kandis Gibson comes to the end of her term as President of the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia (WBA), she shares her advice for the next generation of lawyers.
Within every room there exists an ally, even if your paths have yet to cross.
Let the above sink in for a moment. This has been one of the biggest lessons I have learned, and I appreciate it even more after this past year as President of the WBA.
At every step of my career, and at every moment of my presidency, I have had scores of people rooting for me to succeed, lending helping hands, and advocating for my success—-even when I didn’t realise it. I’ve learned that if you know who you are and trust in your abilities, a strong network of mentors and supporters can propel you forward on your desired path. The hard part is learning to trust in your abilities.
A pioneering initiative
As President of the WBA, I created a leadership series called “Got Skills: Developing What it Takes to Lead Forward”. This program was designed to equip women leaders of today and tomorrow with the skills necessary to become successful in their roles leading people. We often focus on the substance of our work, but leadership requires so much more.
Having business acumen helps us understand the nature of our client’s business and the practical implications of the advice we give. Team intelligence helps us understand the dynamics of and tools for influencing the teams we lead and find ourselves in. Resilience gives us the courage and confidence to move forward from mistakes.
And understanding the difference between leadership and management helps us to know when we should be focusing on the ‘why and what’ and the times when we should be focused on the ‘how’ .
Each skill within the series is presented in two parts—a workshop providing the practical skills and a fireside chat with leaders who embody them. Why? Because there is tremendous value in understanding what a skill is and how to acquire it before engaging in conversations about ways to use it. It is my hope that those who attend the series will develop the skills to trust in themselves and their ability to lead.
‘People who look like you’
Throughout my career, I have had strong examples of women in leadership. Women who embody the skills we’ve presented through our series and who have left indelible marks in their fields. They have supported me and taught me the importance of compassionate and authentic leadership—something I attempt to exhibit within the WBA and at Morgan Lewis.
Having people who look like you to look up to is a privilege that I do not take for granted. I know my path is a little easier because they blazed the trail before me.
I’ve also had mentors, sponsors, and advocates—women and men, both within and outside my field—who have intervened on my behalf, spoken my name in rooms, and offered help I didn’t know I needed.
Your colleagues see your work ethic and your character on display in the work you do everyday. I strongly believe that the people around you want you to succeed. They are cheering for you, even when you cannot hear them.
And it’s when we learn the skills to be successful and we start trusting in our own abilities that we begin to see not only the opportunities before us, but all the people lined up to help us achieve them.
