Midwest Region

Thank you to author Mia LaFlore, Sr. BD/Marketing Manager - Intellectual Property and Technology at DLA Piper and Planning Committee for the 2025 LMA Midwest Conference.

Session: The Human Side of Change: How to Lead, Influence, and Thrive in Times of Uncertainty
Speaker: Brianna Leung
Conference: LMA Midwest Regional Conference
Date: October 9-10, 2025, Chicago, IL

You know that moment in a conference session when someone says exactly what you've been thinking but were too exhausted to articulate? When a whole room of people collectively exhale because finally, finally, someone gets it?

That's what happened during Brianna Leung's session at the 2025 LMA Midwest Regional Conference. And honestly? I needed to hear every word of it.

The Elephant Always Wins (Sorry, Logic)

Here's what Brianna made crystal clear: when people are resisting change, they're not being difficult just to make your life harder. They're being human. Which is somehow both obvious and revolutionary at the same time.

She introduced this concept of the rider and the elephant. Your rational brain (the rider) can build the most beautiful business case in the world. Charts, data, ROI projections, the works. But your emotional brain (the elephant)? That's the one who actually decides whether you're moving forward or planting your feet.

And here's the kicker: the elephant always wins.

There's actual research on this. Scientists gave people two options. Option one: we're going to shock you in five seconds. Guaranteed. Option two: we might shock you. Or we might not. Your call.

Guess which one people chose? The certain pain. Every time.

We're that allergic to uncertainty. Our brains would literally rather experience guaranteed discomfort than deal with the "maybe" of it all.

Welcome to the Valley of Despair

Brianna walked us through the change curve, which (surprise!) looks exactly like the stages of grief. Because that's what change is, even when it's good change. Loss of certainty. Loss of routine. Loss of the way things used to be.

And here's the thing you can't logic your way around: you cannot talk someone out of the valley of despair.

Trust me. We've all tried. We show them the data. We explain the rationale. We build the case. And they still sit there in that valley, unmoved.

Because data matters. Rational arguments matter. But they're not enough when someone's elephant has decided we're not going anywhere today.

The 5% Adoption Rate That Haunts Us All

Brianna shared a CRM implementation story that probably gave half the room flashbacks.

Mid-sized firm. Great technology. Executive committee bought in. Budget approved. Training completed. Everything checked off the list.

Three months later? Five percent adoption.

Here's what went wrong:

• Nobody asked the attorneys what they actually needed

• The sponsors approved it but didn't visibly use it

• Features were presented as features, not solutions to real problems

• Training was generic instead of tailored

• After launch, everyone moved on to the next thing

The technology wasn't the problem. The problem was that nobody ever asked the attorneys why they should care or how this would actually make their lives better.

Sound familiar? Yeah. Thought so.

ADKAR: Your New Best Friend

Brianna gave us a framework that I'm absolutely using going forward. It's called ADKAR, and it's basically a diagnostic tool for figuring out where change is getting stuck.

A - Awareness: Do people even know why this change is happening? If they don't see the reason, they won't engage.

D - Desire: Okay, they understand it. But do they want to do it? This is the WIIFM moment. What's in it for them?

K - Knowledge: This is where we usually start (with training). But here's the problem: you can't teach someone who isn't open to learning.

A - Ability: Just because they know how doesn't mean they can actually do it yet. They need practice, support, room to fail.

R - Reinforcement: Half of what we do is habitual. Without reinforcement, people will slide right back to old patterns when life gets busy.

The beauty of this framework? When someone's resisting change, you can pinpoint exactly where they're stuck. Is it awareness? Desire? Ability? Because your solution depends entirely on where the actual barrier is.

You Can't Pour From an Empty Cup (And Other Things We Know But Ignore)

This is where Brianna got real with us. Like, really real.

You can't lead change when you're barely surviving it yourself.

She shared her own story about living with chronic fatigue while running her business. Having to learn to say no. Creating "integration plans" after every speaking engagement just so she could recover without burning out completely.

And look. We all know we're supposed to take care of ourselves. We all know about self-care and boundaries and rest. But in legal marketing, we're expected to be superhuman. Crisis after crisis. Launch after launch. Change after change. All while being strategic thought partners and culture champions and technology evangelists.

But we're not superhuman. We're just human.

And maybe, just maybe, that needs to be okay.

What I'm Actually Taking Back to My Firm

1. Stop trying to logic people into change. The elephant needs something too. Empathy, connection, understanding. Give people the emotional space to process what they're losing.

2. Use ADKAR like a diagnostic tool. Figure out where the barrier actually is before you try to fix it.

3. Build in reinforcement from day one. Change doesn't end at launch. Plan for ongoing support or watch your adoption rates tank.

4. Check in with yourself. Seriously. You can't lead anyone through anything if you're running on fumes.

5. Remember everyone's navigating their own elephant. Including you. Including your partners. Including that person who's being "difficult" about the new system.

The Real Takeaway

Change isn't going away. If anything, it's accelerating. But managing change well isn't about having all the answers or being perfect or never making mistakes.

It's about understanding that everyone (including you) is just trying to get their elephant and their rider on the same page. And sometimes, that understanding is enough to start making real progress.

Authored by: Mia LaFlore, Sr. BD/Marketing Manager - Intellectual Property and Technology at DLA Piper and Planning Committee for the 2025 LMA Midwest Conference