Clio Cloud 2017: Why Lawyers Should be like Astronauts

“Leadership is the art of influencing human behavior to accomplish a mission in the manner desired by the leader.” – Canadian Forces definition of leadership

So it’s too late to be the first Canadian to walk around in space, but as lawyers we should take a leaf out of his book; excelling as leaders and adapting to unforeseen challenges benefits astronauts and lawyers alike. In this On the Road report from the 2017 Clio Cloud conference, Jack Newton, Phil Brown, and Rian Gauvreau talk to retired Canadian astronaut and International Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield about what molds a true leader and how to anticipate failure without letting it overwhelm you. He also discusses his experiences in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and how they shaped his ideas of leadership and self discipline.

Chris Hadfield is a retired Canadian astronaut who was the first Canadian to walk in space. An engineer and former Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot, Hadfield has flown two space shuttle missions and served as commander of the International Space Station.

Jack Newton is the founder of Clio, a pioneer in the cloud-based practice management industry.

Phil Brown is currently a member of the Ontario Criminal Lawyers Association and is the Photo Editor of “For The Defence” magazine.

Rian Gauvreau is the co-founder and chief operating officer for Clio where he combines his years of experience in law firm IT with his in-depth software development experience.