088: 4 Levels of Team Empowerment with Patti Paz
Empowering and growing your team is a cornerstone of building a successful law practice, yet many attorneys overlook it.
On this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, we explore how to transition from delegating tasks to enabling your team members to make strategic decisions and think critically. Steve welcomes Patti Paz, a seasoned paralegal and team leader, who shares her expertise on the four stages of empowerment from the Atticus curriculum. Patti provides actionable steps to enhance your team’s effectiveness and confidence.
We also discuss Patti’s journey from a paralegal in an estate planning practice to a team leader despite initial resistance and skepticism. Patti reveals the differences between an office manager and a team leader, emphasizing the strategic leadership and empowerment the latter role requires. With insights from the Team Leader Certification Program she co-created, Patti offers new team leaders the tools and strategies they need to succeed, sharing lessons from her experiences and common mistakes lawyers make in treating their team members.
Steve and Patti outline the four levels of empowerment and trust within a team structure, detailing how attorneys can accelerate their team’s development through dedicated training and structured time management. By exploring each stage—from gathering facts to achieving a self-managing team—we highlight the lawyer’s evolving role in managing a team and ultimately managing managers. Finally, Steve and Patti focus on maintaining a united leadership front, the value of the Team Leader Program, and appreciation for Patti’s exceptional coaching skills and contributions to the Atticus community.
Discover how to invest in your team’s growth and create a thriving, empowered law practice. Sign up for the Team Leader Certification Program and enter the code TLC500 for a discount.
In this episode, you will hear:
- The importance of empowering and growing your legal team for practice transformation
- Transitioning from task delegation to strategic decision-making
- An overview of the four stages of empowerment from the Atticus curriculum
- Distinguishing between an office manager and a strategic team leader
- Patti Paz’s journey from skepticism to leadership in law practices
- Some practical steps for enhancing team effectiveness and confidence
- The key role of dedicated training and structured time management
- Benefits of the Team Leader Program and its impact on law firms
- Common mistakes lawyers make that disempower their teams
- Empowerment levels: From task training to self-managing units
- Strategies for attorneys to evolve from managing tasks to managing managers
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If there’s a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at steve.riley@atticusadvantage.com.
Supporting Resources:
- Patti Paz: Practice Advisor, Paralegal and Certified Team Leader
- Team Leader Certification Program
Get $500 off your Team Leader Certification Program! Use promo code: TLC500 - Guidelines for Levels of Trust and Empowerment Diagram
- 010: Is it Possible for Non-Lawyers to do Initial Meetings? with Patti Paz
- 019: What is a Team Leader? Do I Need One? with Patti Paz
Steve Riley
Certified Practice Advisor & Attorney
Steve Riley has coached attorneys for more than 20 years. His one-on-one coaching focuses on a limited number of top producing attorneys committed to taking their practices to new levels of excellence, profit, and personal success. He also presents at group coaching workshops around the country for individual law firms, state bar associations, and other legal organizations.