Spotlights: How Sheila Murphy is Changing the Legal Game with Authenticity

To create legal disruption, many think it requires a loud voice, extreme ideas, and thinking completely outside of the norm.

Sheila Murphy is proof that for disruption and positive change to take place, you don’t need to be the biggest personality in the room.

Sheila is a self-confessed introvert at heart. A lawyer who started her legal career happy to sit behind a desk and not raise her head above the parapet. After a forced move into the world of litigation, and a new challenge at global insurance organization MetLife, she was thrown into a world where she knew she had to disrupt to get ahead - but only on terms that would work for her.

Fast forward to the present day, Sheila’s journey of doing things her own way has led to the founding of Focus Forward Consulting – her legal coaching and development consultancy for those who don’t necessarily see themselves as traditional disruptors.

Her story proves that to be disruptive and a value-driven lawyer, you don’t always need bold or extreme ideas. There is great value in the softer, human skills, and Sheila is here to prove it.
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From “ostrich attorney” to the Aha moment

From the outset, Sheila knew she didn’t want courtroom dramas,

“When I went to law school, I really wanted to be what I called an ostrich attorney. I wanted my head in the desk and to just turn out documents.”

The plan altered with a move to MetLife, where she quickly learned that to get ahead, she would need to change tact.

At MetLife, she noticed her peers progressing ahead of her. Peers she knew weren’t quite up to par with her legal knowledge and value. She soon realized that the progression wasn’t legal skill; it was about visibility, advocacy, and relationship-building.

“I knew I was a better lawyer than those getting promoted above me,” she says, “while I was staying in the office, certain peers were talking to people and I realized that I needed to really change things if I was going to move ahead and be a better asset to my clients.”

From that point forward, Sheila was committed to developing her communication, networking, and leadership skills.

The development didn’t happen overnight; it was a gradual journey. But by disrupting her own comfort zone, she grew real talents for communication, building a culture of innovation, and developing legal talent within the company.
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Building a culture of innovation

Sheila’s new talents helped her take on exciting responsibilities at MetLife, such as driving technological adoption and putting the processes and coaching in place to ensure it was a success. She led initiatives as part of MetLife’s ‘Legal Technology Committee’ where she coached and upskilled her legal team on the uses and benefits of technology, while also developing a five-year roadmap to modernize legal operations.

But the key to Sheila’s success wasn’t necessarily her innovative ideas; it was how she implemented the ideas using a people-first approach. As an introvert, she understood embracing change is challenging, therefore she always prioritized those affected by her innovations.

“You have to communicate, communicate, communicate in many different ways. It's communicating in a large group, it's also talking to people on the side. You have to do lots of positive reinforcement, especially when they’re going through change.”

Through smaller discussion groups and one-on-one chats, she built trust and an environment for open and honest communication. All of which she credits as vital for successful change management.

Sheila’s more personable way of working enabled her to thrive at MetLife. After a 20+ year tenure and rising to Senior Vice President and Associate GC, she knew her development skills and vision could be used for so much more – leading her to found Focus Forward Consulting.
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Focus Forward Consulting: Setting lawyers on their own path

Focus Forward Consulting helps law professionals break through stagnation to see what is possible.

“It's really training people to think beyond legal regulations, codes and briefings, to think more broadly about their organizations and how they can bring the business forward, not just to the legal team.”

She starts by asking the direct questions - What are your pain points? What slows your team down? Where are the opportunities to improve? - and then urges legal professionals to seek insights beyond their industries and comfort zone. From there, sessions focus on individual or team needs, as Sheila knows a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work.

“Some lawyers just want to be a valued member of the law department, others really want to be General Counsel or CLO. So, we take their desires and what it is about that desire, and we help them develop the right skills and path for them”.

These could be technology and AI skills, or people-centered skills such as the networking and communication strengths that helped Sheila become the lawyer and consultant she is today.

Aside from the coaching sessions, she also encourages her clients to invest in their network and go to events. Her most vital piece of advice? “Don’t hide in your hotel room!” Be present at events but be yourself and find your own peers,

“You can still be your authentic self and be very effective. You don’t have to change your DNA, but small changes make huge differences.”
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Be your authentic self to be effective

For introverted legal professionals aiming to get ahead, Sheila’s advice is refreshingly human. In a profession often defined by caution and hierarchy, her story and Focus Forward Consultancy’s mission show that disruption can be quiet yet powerful.

Change begins with a willingness to think differently, and Sheila believes every legal professional can lead positive change, no matter the challenges. You don’t need to be the loudest person in the room, just be yourself and be open to making small changes in a way that works for you.

If you would like to learn more about Sheila or the incredible legal coaching session she runs, explore Focus Forward Consulting’s website and follow Sheila on LinkedIn for her personable stories and advice.