“How does this neuro frontier inside our skulls specifically inform law firm management? By peering inside the brain, we can see how its owner takes in information, makes decisions, changes and resists change, remembers and recalls, and responds to people. What we are learning about the brain affects three factors critical to law firms and to each individual lawyer: control, communication, and competence. Let’s take a tour of some of what’s been learned and see how the new information can be useful.”

This is part of the great article that Dr. Jeffrey M. Schwartz and Stephanie West Allen have written for the February, 2007 edition of Of Counsel: The Legal Practice and Management Report, titled “Brain Management: Law Firm Leadership on the Neuro Frontier” (Not available online.)

You can read a bit more in Stephanie’s blog (a must-read blog for lawyers).   

In short: our actions can change our brains. Actually, our thoughts can do so too. We all can benefit from “self-directed neuroplasticity”-which requires practice, imagination and empathy. The article mentions specific examples for lawyers.

Learning assumes and induces neuroplasticity (how the brain changes).

How can you apply this to your occupation? what have you learned today?

You can read more on a similar topic, by Dr. Jeffrey M. Schwartz and David Rock: check out The Neuroscience of Leadership.