How to Grow Your Career by Helping Others

Today's headline is the exact description I use to explain what the Mountain Minute newsletter is all about... and in this issue I'm going to give you a very specific example: David Cowen.

I spent the past few days on Microsoft's Redmond campus, where David brought together 200 professionals from the business of law to learn how to create and deploy AI agents.

For seven years, I've watched David invest in other people. He builds community by bringing together legal innovators. For years, he travelled from city to city, hosting small dinners at which he introduced 10 to 15 people at a time. In most cases, he was bringing together innovators who lacked a strong support network.

Next came the Summit for Legal Innovation and Disruption (SOLID), a series of one-day events in cities such as New York, San Francisco, Atlanta. First and foremost, these events invite attendees to meet others and to think out loud together.

Earlier this year, David started brainstorming with Microsoft. AI is shifting from a possibility to a strategic imperative, but the fact is that many professionals don't understand the details. SOLID AI was conceived of as a way to teach legal leaders to build AI agents.

That's exactly what happened. Imagine 200 people working side by side, moving past theory to actual hands-on agent building.

But I'm not here to talk about AI. Again and again, I've seen David ask question after question, most of which amount to, "What do you need? What don't you understand? How can I help?"

Such questions have driven the growth of his business, his career and his life. He has never tried to be the smartest person in the room, yet he can successfully serve as the MC for a daylong gathering at Microsoft. This is because if you give him access to a smart, experienced, accomplished person, he will know the right question to ask them. He is not afraid of appearing dumb or ignorant, which enables him to ask questions others want to ask, but don't have the nerve to do so.

David behaves in a similar manner with his Core 4, which includes me. The term refers to the four people (sometimes even five or six) who you can rely on to accompany you through years of growth, challenges and opportunities. When he asks for counsel, he really listens. This doesn't mean he always does what someone tells him; it means he truly welcomes the input.

He is 100% focused on helping others, and he surrounds himself with people who operate in a similar manner. It was wonderful to watch him serve over 200 people for two solid days (pun intended).

Grow your career by serving others.