Being a business owner is difficult. You’re responsible for a lot of people’s livelihood, every mistake ultimately comes back to be your responsibility, and you’re in charge of the fate of your whole company.
Because of that, it’s normal to dabble: tiptoe around growth and keep waiting for “the right time” to go all-in on an expansion or an ambitious project.
But here’s the truth: if you’re dabbling to save your organization, you’re already sinking it.
Playing it safe is not a strategy, because the biggest players out there aren’t dabblers. They’re dominators.
They don’t test the waters, wait to see how things pan out, and tiptoe their way into success. They go all-in decisively and with commitment.
When you look at the top-performing law firm owners whose businesses are growing year after year, whose teams are strong, and whose cultures are thriving, you’ll notice that they all have one thing in common: they’ve figured out how to create leverage.
They aren’t stuck in the weeds, buried in the day-to-day operations of their firm. They’ve built organizations where things get done at a high level without them needing to be in every meeting, overseeing every decision.
Leverage isn’t laziness. It’s building a great team, instilling a strong culture, and creating systems that allow you to focus on the future.
The most successful leaders work on their business, not just in it. They spend their time building what their firm will become tomorrow, not what it was yesterday.
But leverage alone isn’t enough. Confidently moving your firm forward also takes courage. For entrepreneurs, courage means taking action when things are hard, uncertain, and when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
The best leaders don’t flinch. They don’t freeze or fall into analysis paralysis. They make the call, write the check, and move forward, dealing with the consequences later. They know that the worst thing to do in any situation is to do nothing.
Indecision isn’t just weak. It’s dangerous.
When you hesitate, your team hesitates. When you’re afraid, they’re afraid. When you can’t commit, neither can they. Your team, your clients, and your community are all looking to you to lead — so if you don’t, who will?
This isn’t to say you’re supposed to be perfect from day one. No one is. But leadership is a responsibility. It’s a skill you develop.
And the more you lean into courage, the more your organization grows around it.
The leaders who dominate don’t dabble. They’re not lukewarm, and they don’t do things halfway. They say no to distractions and yes to opportunities that matter. That’s how they build something real and lead firms that don’t just survive but scale, evolve, and thrive.
So if you’re still waiting for the perfect moment, I’ve got bad news for you: it’s not coming.
If you’re scared to commit, understand this: Your fear has a cost — and that cost is the future you say you want.
So if you want to grow, know that while you won’t always get it right, it’s much better to fail while trying than it is to fail to try.
Stop dabbling. Take action. Start dominating.
