The Strange Condition: Knowledge Without Experience I
had been suffering from near-crippling self-doubt since entering the legal profession in early 2019 and was struggling to understand the origin of my lingering malaise when I was struck by a statement made by Bumble CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, while watching Gayle King interview the CEO recently on CBS This Morning.1 After dealing with personal and professional setbacks in 2014, Wolfe Herd stated that she had lost all of her confidence, but what she realized was “you can lose confidence, but you can never kill ambition”. Wolfe Herd turned her pain into something purposeful and created Bumble.2 Until I became an attorney, I had always been a confident person. However, suddenly thrust into the ultra-professional environment of the practice of law, working with people who were years, even decades into their careers and law practices, who had intimidating resumes, who articulated every sentence perfectly, were never flustered by anything, were so perfectly polished, I was soon wracked with self-doubt. It was a slow leak of my essence, like a balloon losing air over time. I no longer recognized myself. Instead of the confident person I once was, I now often struggled to find the right words when explaining something to colleagues, I was anxiety-ridden, and paralyzed with fear to make a mistake. The statement made by Wolfe Herd struck me in the right way on the right day at the right time. It was the medicine I needed; hearing her say that “you can lose confidence, but you can never kill ambition”, resonated with me so deeply it shifted my perspective. Wolfe Herd was right: I may have lost my self-confidence, but my ambition was ever present, pressing me to overcome and succeed.
By Sabra L. Tomb Esq. Leadership Development Class Air Force Research Laboratory sabratomb@hotmail.com | 937.225.3654 The shift in perspective was this: knowledge does not equal competence. Competence is built on the foundation of experience. The strange condition I was suffering from is that I had a head full of knowledge with little legal experience. I was not broken; there was nothing wrong with me. My lack of experience was presenting as a lack of confidence, but I was letting my lack of experience get to me and that was getting in the way of positive professional development. I was under the misconception that attorneys have all the answers immediately after passing a bar exam and there was something wrong with me because I did not have all the answers at the tip of my tongue for every client, for every issue, every day. Knowledge is important, but in the practice of law, the experience and wisdom that is only bestowed upon us over time may be even more important than the legal education we earn before we practice. Although I have not turned my pain into something purposeful in the same way Wolfe Herd did, hearing her words triggered the realignment I needed, putting me back on the path of finding my confidence again. Thankfully, I am slowly feeling like my old self again which is a success.
Tips to Overcome Symptoms Associated with the Strange Condition: 1) Only allow those who have earned it to speak into your life.
Not everyone in your life deserves the same energy or equal weight. It is easy to allow others, especially colleagues or peers, people we typically spend quite a bit of time with, to influence how we feel about ourselves. This can be dangerous territory for your confidence and well-being, especially as a newer attorney. Do not let others’ biases and life experiences hold you hostage or have unearned sway over your self-confidence. This was a hard lesson for me to learn. It is my natural tendency to take everything personally, but understanding that for the most part, what people say anddo has nothing to do with me and everything to do with them set me free. 20
Dayton Bar Briefs May 2021
2) Spend time doing something you are already good at or enjoy.
Doing something you know you are good at will boost your self-confidence, which will carry over into your career. I enjoy physical exercise and have worked out for nearly 25 years. During the last year, I started carving out more time to work out. Getting back into a consistent exercise routine has increased my overall well-being. I sleep and manage stress better, have more energy, and when I am feeling overwhelmed, exercise gives me the mental and physical boost I need to maintain a positive state of mind. continued on page 21
ENDNOTES: “Bumble Takes Flight.” CBS This Morning. CBS, February 11, 2021. Television. 2 At 31, Whitney Wolfe Herd became the youngest self-made female billionaire after taking Bumble public in February 2021. She is worth an estimated $1.5 billion. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/profile/ whitney-wolfe-herd/?sh=22a556703147. Accessed 24 March 2021.
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