Building Community as a Business Development Strategy: Practical ways to harness connection for clarity, opportunity, and career fulfillment
From LEAP: The Attorney Growth Lab
In my group business development training programs, I noticed something unexpected. The curriculum was valuable, but the biggest impact came from the conversations attorneys had with each other. Lawyers who had worked together for years discovered new ideas and perspectives simply by talking about their business development efforts in a structured way. They shared what was working, where they struggled, and how they were approaching opportunities. Those conversations sparked accountability, collaboration, and support that no presentation or worksheet could replicate.
What Lawyers Gain from Talking to Each Other
When lawyers take part in intentional conversations about business development, the value goes far beyond tips and tactics. These discussions create momentum, deepen relationships, and open doors. Some of the most powerful outcomes include:
- Practical strategies. Instead of theory, lawyers hear what is actually working for their peers. How someone consistently turns conference introductions into new relationships, or how another tracks outreach in a way that sticks, can be applied immediately.
- Shared problem solving. Challenges like fee pressure, origination credit, or client retention feel less daunting when peers share how they navigated them. Hearing real examples makes solutions more accessible.
- Built-in accountability. Stating a goal out loud changes the likelihood of follow-through. When someone commits to reconnecting with a former client and knows they will be asked about it later, the call almost always gets made.
- Opportunities to collaborate. Conversations often lead to co-authoring articles, preparing pitches together, or referring matters across practices and offices. The combined credibility of multiple lawyers strengthens the effort.
- Personal support. These exchanges also build trust and camaraderie. Lawyers gain encouragement, insight into firm dynamics, and the reassurance that others share the same struggles. The result is less isolation and more energy for growth.
Even senior partners benefit from this process. Many of them discover new perspectives by hearing how colleagues in other practice areas approach business development.
Why These Conversations Do Not Happen Naturally
If conversations about business development are so valuable, why do they rarely take shape on their own?
The first barrier is time. Client demands and billable hours will always take priority, and most lawyers feel pressure to spend every extra moment on work that is directly measurable. When faced with the choice between preparing for a deposition or grabbing coffee with a colleague, the deposition wins.
There is also a cultural barrier. Many lawyers hesitate to show vulnerability, worrying it could be seen as weakness. At the same time, the skills that make initiating conversations in an easy, natural way are becoming less common. Technology has made it easier to communicate in short, transactional ways, but harder to build the habit of starting open-ended dialogue. For many attorneys, asking a peer to meet and talk about business development feels awkward or unfamiliar.
Finally, remote and hybrid work environments have reduced organic opportunities. The hallway chats and impromptu lunches that once sparked new ideas are harder to recreate in virtual settings.
Together, these factors mean that unless someone takes the lead to structure and facilitate the dialogue, it doesn’t happen.
How to Create This for Yourself
The good news is that you do not have to wait for your firm or a consultant to build this kind of environment. You can create it yourself in several ways:
Within your firm
- Opt in to existing business development or mentoring programs, and if none exist, suggest launching one.
- Add a short “BD exchange” to practice group meetings where colleagues share what is working for them.
- Form a small accountability pod with two or three peers and rotate who sets the agenda.
Across firms and organizations
- Join a structured program where community and accountability are built in, like LEAP: Attorney Growth Lab.
- Participate in mastermind groups, bar associations, or legal marketing programs that focus on peer learning.
- Proactively schedule one-on-one coffees, lunches, or Zooms with lawyers outside your practice or firm.
Industry-focused BD groups
- Create or join a group built around a specific industry vertical, bringing together professionals who work with the same types of clients in complementary ways. For example, healthcare lawyers, regulatory advisors, and employment attorneys could collaborate around trends and opportunities impacting healthcare clients. These groups not only deepen expertise but also generate natural cross-referrals and co-marketing opportunities.
DIY option
- Start a simple monthly “BD roundtable.” Keep it low-barrier: one hour, one theme, and one clear action item each person commits to before the next meeting. Over time, the group will build momentum and accountability.
The key is to make it intentional and prepare. Peer conversations about business development will not happen automatically. Creating the structure is what transforms casual chats into a powerful driver of growth.
Reframing Business Development as Relationship Development
Lawyers often think of business development as a sales exercise. That mindset makes it feel forced and uncomfortable. In reality, business development is much closer to relationship development. It is about creating opportunities to connect, exchange ideas, and learn.
The greatest clarity and creativity often come from being active rather than from planning in isolation. When you talk with colleagues, clients, and peers, you uncover what energizes you, what challenges you want to solve, and where new opportunities might lie. Each conversation builds momentum and points you toward the kind of practice and career you want to shape.
Instead of waiting until you have a perfectly defined goal, start by showing up, engaging with others, and seeing what comes from the dialogue. The habits of initiating conversations, listening carefully, and sharing perspectives are what lead to both business growth and professional fulfillment.
The lawyers who embrace this approach are not just generating clients. They are building networks of support, gaining insight into their own direction, and creating careers that are adaptable and rewarding.
A Call to Action
If you take nothing else from this, take this: do not wait. Find one way this week to bring more conversation into your business development efforts. Invite a colleague to coffee, ask your practice group leader to dedicate ten minutes to sharing strategies, or start a text thread with peers who want accountability.
Business development becomes lighter, more collaborative, and more effective when you stop trying to do it alone. The most successful rainmakers I know are not just brilliant lawyers. They are connected, supported, and consistently learning from others.
Lana Manganiello is the founder of Practice Growth Partner, where she helps attorneys and firms build profitable practices and fulfilling careers through strategic business development, marketing, and coaching. She also leads LEAP: The Attorney Growth Lab, a community-based program that brings lawyers together to share strategies, stay accountable, and accelerate growth through collaboration and conversation.
