Breakthrough Growth: How Empathetic Leadership Drives Success

Speaker 1: It was all about what we called servant leadership, meaning you have to look within yourself. You have to lead by serving. In other words, you don’t come in as a dictator and say, “Do this, do this.” No. You have to show them that you’re doing it, that you’re changing, that you’re moving in that direction.

I think that goes back to Potter. That’s really what he was saying—

Speaker 2: —is that we need to—

Speaker 1: —be servant leaders. We’re not dictators.

Speaker 2: Welcome to Great Practice, Great Life by Atticus Incorporated.

What if you could hang out with successful small and solo law firm attorneys, ask them about their successes and failures, their business strategies and mindset habits, then take an insight or two to guide your own growth in your practice.

Each week, Steve Riley shares an in-depth look at how to work less while maintaining high client service standards, reduce your stress levels while growing your income, and find time to make changes when you are time starved.

Steve is a lawyer coach for more than twenty years and a former trial attorney. His goal is to provide strategies—

Speaker 3: Hey, Steve Riley. Welcome to this episode of Great Practice, Great Life. And today we’re featuring board certified trial lawyer, an attorney who’s built a fantastic plaintiff’s practice, Doug Burnetti. So, welcome to the show.

Speaker 1: Thank you. Thanks for having me, Steve.

Speaker 3: Oh, it’s our pleasure. It’s great to have you here today. For people who don’t know you, could you describe a little bit about your practice and where you’re at and how your firm works?

Speaker 1: We’re primarily located in Central Florida, although we cover the entire state. Actually, have cases out of the state also, but primarily Florida. Our offices are all within Central Florida. We have eight offices now, I think it is, with our two largest offices in Tampa and Lakeland, but several offices from Sarasota all the way up to North Pinellas.

Speaker 3: That’s fantastic. And you’ve grown a fabulous practice. As you look back, what do you think the three biggest challenges were for you to grow your practice the way that you have?

Speaker 1: We started in nineteen ninety-four. It was just me and one secretary. The challenges then were different than starting today. Back then, there was a lot of anti-advertising sentiment. When I first started advertising right away—because that was the only way I knew how to get cases—there was pushback and negativity. Now it’s kind of the opposite. There is so much competition.

So today, the biggest challenge would be competition—how do I break into the market doing personal injury, which is one hundred percent of what our firm does.

Second biggest challenge is something very new since COVID: trying to get talent, whether support staff or a lawyer. It’s very difficult to hire the talent to keep up with the growth.

Third is technology. Technology is changing so rapidly that either you keep up or you get left behind. If you’re not paperless right now, it’s difficult.

Speaker 3: It’s amazing how many lawyers are still paper-centric.

Speaker 1: Especially for older guys like me. I’ve been doing this since nineteen ninety. It was a challenge for me personally to switch. We started ten years ago, and about six to eight years ago said, “No, that’s it.”

Speaker 3: Some people are afraid to share their “secret sauce.” You had a funny response—why are you not afraid of sharing?

Speaker 1: I can tell twenty lawyers the information and maybe one can execute on it. I’m not too worried about sharing. If it can help a few, that’s great.

Speaker 3: Why do you think only one out of twenty will embrace it?

Speaker 1: Maybe pride, maybe money—are they willing to sacrifice to grow for a year? For some reason, you can tell them all day long and it won’t digest.

Speaker 3: I’ve heard the same—someone could take the whole hard drive and still not be successful.

Speaker 1: There’s a great book I read, a Harvard recommended book, about change—by John Kotter. He comes in with data, not just opinion. Humans resist change. Leaders often aren’t willing to change. If you’re not willing to change, you’ve got problems, especially now.

Speaker 3: When you heard Kotter speak, what shifted your view?

Speaker 1: He supported his views with empirical data and essentially said the problem leaders have is that they’re not changing. That resonated with me. I was guilty—I didn’t want to give up control, especially the first ten years. Eventually I had to delegate and step back toward the big picture.

Speaker 3: Leading change is different than telling people to change. How do you approach change?

Speaker 1: It’s servant leadership—you have to lead by serving. You don’t come in as a dictator. You show them you’re changing, moving in that direction. A big part is caring—empathy. Not coddling—seeing it from their perspective, providing tools and training, being with them, not just preaching.

Speaker 3: When did you make that shift?

Speaker 1: End of the nineties—nineteen ninety-nine to two thousand—by force. We grew fast, and it was too much for me. I had to delegate, trust, train, care for people, and make customer service the number one value.

Speaker 3: How many people do you employ now?

Speaker 1: About eighty-five.

Speaker 3: How many direct reports do you have?

Speaker 1: About five—an administrative leadership group. We meet constantly. We have leads for case staff, HR, operations/physical plants/new offices, marketing, and a call center.

Speaker 3: Where’s your call center?

Speaker 1: Primarily in the U.S., but we have a couple of people from the Philippines. About fifteen total, not all full-time call center—some are overflow.

Speaker 3: How do you talk to your admin team about change?

Speaker 1: Openly. I have them read books. They’ve been with me five to ten years. They’re on board for positive change, and they’ve seen the firm through good and difficult times.

Speaker 3: Key books?

Speaker 1: How to Win Friends and Influence People. In my opinion, it contains every concept you need to be a servant leader. Simple things like “smile,” don’t pick a fight, find win-win—applies to business and personal life.

Speaker 3: Other books?

Speaker 1: A Ken Blanchard management book—practical management. For lawyers, The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn. It’s about a postman and being the best at what you do. Also Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute—being “in the box” versus “out of the box.” The business only grows to the extent leadership will allow.

Speaker 3: Where were you stuck most and how did you get unstuck?

Speaker 1: Early on I was the technician—caught up practicing law because I was good at it. I didn’t delegate. Overcoming that allowed growth. Later, internal leadership struggles slowed growth for years. Once dealt with, growth returned until COVID, and now we’re back on track.

Speaker 3: Advice for someone who can’t see their leadership lid?

Speaker 1: Read these books, understand the concepts. Evaluate what you know needs to be done to make the business better—and do it. If you know someone needs to be fired or an issue needs addressing and you’re not doing it, that puts a lid on growth.

Speaker 3: Three biggest growth strategies?

Speaker 1: Marketing—twenty-five to forty percent of budget. Second: customer service as the firm’s habit—every decision through that lens. Over thirty percent of our cases come from former/current clients. Third: investing in people—training programs, internal training videos, tools and technology, including AI.

Speaker 3: Time management advice?

Speaker 1: Balance. Sixty to seventy hours a week is too much outside trial. All we have is time. Don’t make your identity only “a lawyer.” I practice law, but I’m also a dad, a grandfather, and more. Take time off—protect your life.

Speaker 3: Any last words?

Speaker 1: I would not make myself just a lawyer. I would make myself other things—and the lawyer.

Speaker 3: Thanks for joining this week’s episode of Great Practice, Great Life. Like and share it with a friend.