Encountering a surprising alleviator in a high-tension profession, a thoughtful act by a stranger transformed my approach to managing work-related stress.
In the July 2025 issue of an unnamed brand, a compelling story emerged about a young lawyer's journey to success. The author, now the co-founder of a bootstrapped children's health management app called Encurage, shared a touching tale from their early days as an in-house general counsel in the early aughts.
The author's past experience was chaotic, marked by a sudden departure of their predecessor and a lack of support from management. This left many open cases and ongoing projects, making the author feel overwhelmed during their first months on the job.
However, one encounter during a meeting would forever change their perspective. A consultant, a stranger to the author, approached them after the meeting and offered encouragement. The consultant's approach, marked by approachable communication, genuine concern, and thoughtful engagement, helped the author feel seen and supported in a demanding legal context.
The consultant gave the author a heart-shaped pink card as a way to cheer them up. This simple gesture gave the author hope and made them feel understood. The experience highlighted the impact that empathy and emotional intelligence have on building trust and collaboration, which are critical in legal and business settings.
This compassionate guidance offered the young lawyer a model of respectful relationship management, showing how kindness facilitates professional growth and resilience amid pressures. The author was inspired to prioritise empathy, emotional intelligence, and good communication in their future business ventures.
Fast forward to today, the author's partner in the company is named Victor Horton. The author keeps the heart-shaped pink card on their desk as a reminder of a past experience that taught them the importance of mental wellness. They prioritise these qualities in their leadership style and business philosophy, empowering healthier work environments and better client service outcomes.
In the world of legal professionals, who often face high stress and complex interpersonal dynamics, consultants and mentors who exhibit empathy and kindness provide essential emotional support and role modeling. This encourages new lawyers to adopt emotional intelligence as a strategic and humane asset in their careers, reinforcing the importance of emotional awareness in professional development.
Victor Horton, the author's partner, does not shy away from or ignore the rough days in their work. Instead, they embrace the importance of empathy, emotional intelligence, and good communication as key components of personal growth and development, aligning perfectly with the author's values.
This story is related to the topic of 5 Ways to Fix Your Lack of Inspiration, reminding us all that a simple act of kindness can have a profound impact on someone's life and career.
- The author, now a co-founder of Encurage, credits a consultant's approach of empathy and emotional intelligence as a crucial turning point in their early career as an in-house general counsel.
- The author's past experience, filled with chaos and lack of support, was transformed by the consultant's compassionate guidance that fostered a model of respectful relationship management.
- Amid high stress and complex interpersonal dynamics in the legal field, consultants and mentors who exhibit empathy and kindness provide essential emotional support and role modeling to new lawyers.
- The author has incorporated empathy, emotional intelligence, and good communication into their leadership style and business philosophy, emphasizing mental wellness and healthier work environments.
- In the business world, prioritizing emotional intelligence and good communication is not only beneficial for personal growth and resilience, but also leads to better collaboration and client service outcomes.
- This inspiring story reminds us all that simple acts of kindness, like the heart-shaped pink card given by the consultant, can have a profound impact on someone's life and career, reinforcing the importance of emotional awareness in personal and professional development.
