Personal development ft. Suits

Edition #55

Image Credits: Suits

I recently started watching the hit American legal drama ‘Suits’ for the second time. For the uninitiated, it’s corporate lawyers fighting lawsuits on steroids.

But why are we discussing a series in a personal development newsletter? Because Suits is the embodiment of personal development.

The web series not only makes you want to wear a three-piece suit, but also teaches you crucial self-improvement lessons along the way. Here are the five lessons that I have learnt from it:

1️⃣ Looks matter
Just google “harvey specter style” and you will understand why he (Harvey Specter - a character from the web series) is the sharpest man on TV. Harvey is not just about winning cases, but also making the best first impression. He knows first impressions have a huge impact on how people perceive us whether we want to believe it or not. In the initial few episodes of the debut season you will see him emphasizing the importance of clothing to his associate Mike Ross. People take huge clothing and styling inspiration from Harvey. I too got so inspired by his character that I changed my hairstyle to match his famous 1000-dollar haircut.

2️⃣ Communication is the key
It is no hidden wisdom that communication is critical in the legal field. It can make you win or lose cases. Some situations demand that you dominate the conversation and some require that you show empathy. But whatever the situation is, confidence is a must, whether it is inside the courtroom or outside.

3️⃣ Networking is your way up
If you've seen the show you must have seen everyone throwing this phrase frequently, “I owe you one.” That's how the characters in the series build a network of people who will return the favor when time comes. In our day to day life also we can build a network by lending a helping hand first. So, when time comes that you need a favor the help is easily available. If you want to read more on networking I will highly recommend “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi.

4️⃣ What's your moat?
In the series, character Mike Ross has a super memory. Once he reads something, he understands it and once he understands something he never forgets it. This is what made Harvey Specter hire him as his associate in the first place. Not everyone has a moat like that but one can build it in some or the other way. A moat is something that makes you irreplaceable. It could be your technical, communication, leadership, or negotiation skills.

5️⃣ Negotiation 101
Harvey is the personification of “Negotiation 101”. He has ingrained the concept of leverage. He fought thousands of cases over his career but took very few of them to court. He settled most of them in his client’s favor outside the court. Almost every episode has him or his associate Mike find some information which could serve as a leverage. Once they found something Harvey used it to negotiate a deal in his client’s favor. If you want to read more on the art of negotiation I will highly recommend “Never Split the Difference” by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz.

Those were the five lessons I learned from Suits. If you’re looking something to watch, I will highly recommend Suits.

P.S. As much as I wish it was, this is not a sponsored post 😂

Quote of the week

Never Eat Alone author Keith Ferrazzi on favors:

It’s better to give before you receive. And never keep score. If your interactions are ruled by generosity, your rewards will follow suit.

Get 1% better ❤

What did you like the most about the last web series/movie that you have watched? Let me know in the comments.

Until next week, ✌

Jainuine