Elise Holtzman: Developing Leaders: Skills, Behaviors, and Mindsets

About Elise Holtzman: Elise Holtzman is a former practicing lawyer, executive coach and consultant, and the CEO of The Lawyer’s Edge, where for more than 16 years she and her team have worked with law firms to grow thriving businesses by helping lawyers become better business developers and leaders. She is the creator of the Lawyers Making Rain program for law firms and the Ignite Women’s Business Development Accelerator for women partners and counsel. Elise speaks frequently for law firms and bar associations and is the host of The Lawyer’s Edge podcast. She also writes articles for publications such as Law.com and Law360.

In this episode, Ryan and Elise Holtzman discuss:

• Challenges professionals face when transitioning into leadership roles
• The importance of delegation and team development in sustainable growth
• Continuous learning, mindset shifts, and adapting to industry changes
• Strategies for intentional career planning and self-reflection

Key Takeaways:

• Many professionals are promoted into leadership roles because they excel in their technical or client-facing work, but since most have never been trained in management or leadership, they often feel unprepared, stressed, and pulled away from the work they are best at.
• A common and damaging trap for new leaders is refusing to delegate—continuing to do everything themselves keeps them stuck as individual contributors, prevents them from developing their teams, and leaves them no time for long-term planning or strategic thinking.
• High achievers often believe “if I want it done right, I’ll do it myself,” but shifting that mindset to trust others and delegate to the best-suited person for the task is essential for freeing up time, building stronger teams, and focusing on work that maximizes their impact.
• Leaders who regularly pause for reflection—through structured practices like “reinvention conventions” once or twice a year and weekly or monthly “power hours”—are more likely to stay aligned with their goals, avoid career regrets, and concentrate their time on the highest-value activities instead of getting lost in busyness. 

"We can't see how great we are when other people see. I always say, like, when other people think you're fantastic, believe them—but also the things that we could be improving." — Elise Holtzman