On May 13, Law.com profiled James Mizgala in its “How I Made Law Firm Leadership” series.

When asked what advice he would give to someone whose goal is to ascend to law firm leadership, James said, “Talk less and listen more – like me, you know less than you think. You learn far more by asking questions and genuinely hearing the answers.”

As for what advice he would give to a younger version of himself, knowing what he knows now, James answered, “I would tell my younger self to be more patient and trust the process. Early in my career, I was often so focused on proving myself and achieving the next milestone that I didn’t fully appreciate the value of each experience along the way.”

In terms of career advice that he wishes more people would ask him, James noted that it’s important to “Spend less time worrying about your next promotion and more time being genuinely curious about the people around you. That’s what opens doors you didn’t know existed.”

Read the full list of questions and James’s responses on the Law.com website here.