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How music shapes this lawyer’s path to success
In the fast-paced, high-pressure realm of law, where the relentless pursuit of precision and perfection often dominates, this lawyer has discovered a unique way to integrate balance and creativity into his professional life through the art of music.
Grace Robbie
Speaking on a recent episode of The Corporate Counsel, Roderick Smith, senior legal counsel for Novartis in ANZ and a musician, discussed how his dual identity as both a lawyer and a musician has deeply influenced the way he approaches his work in both fields. He shared how blending his legal acumen with his deep passion for music has not only fuelled his personal fulfilment but also become a powerful catalyst for success in these two seemingly unrelated fields.
In the same episode, he discussed the myriad of challenges in-house lawyers are poised to face as the legal landscape rapidly evolves and shares strategies on how legal professionals can navigate these increasing complexities.
Smith reveals how his deep passion for music, cultivated beyond the pressures of his legal career, provides him with a powerful sense of balance and personal fulfilment, enriching both his professional life and sense of purpose.
“The first is that because you have a passion outside of work and you have projects outside of work, it gives you a sense of perspective with your work.
“It enables you to identify with something other than your work, which also then benefits you in how you approach your work on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
Smith’s ability to achieve balance by stepping away from the relentless pressures of law and channelling his energy into creative pursuits has allowed him to cultivate a sense of fulfilment.
“It also sort of helps to support your wellbeing. In my case, my emotional and kind of spiritual wellbeing, which means that when I am going to work, I’m turning up as the best version of myself. I’m feeling as if I am fulfilled in other areas,” he said.
Despite the apparent divide between these two worlds, one of the most striking elements of this lawyer’s dual career is his ability to transfer valuable skills and insights between his legal career and his musical endeavours.
“It is also really important to kind of transfer some of the skills and some of the learning that you do have from those music projects over to your work projects.
“You are bringing an open mind, a yes kind of approach and really learning the process of compromising collaboration, which in many respects is a lifetime’s work to get that balance right,” he said.
Smith also notes that his pursuit of perfectionism in his music offers a creative escape and a healthy counterbalance to the intense meticulousness demanded by his legal work, providing him with a much-needed release.
“It’s nice to have a music career on the side because you can tip some of your perfectionism into there where it’s not necessarily always useful to you,” he said.
For a lawyer, balancing a demanding legal career with a side project may seem like a formidable challenge, if not an unrealistic one. However, Smith explains that the key to managing both lies in effective time management, ensuring he allocates time for both his professional responsibilities and personal pursuits.
“It’s managing your time really well. I mean, it helps in a lot of ways that I don’t have a lot of other commitments outside of work, apart from music and, of course, you know, my beautiful wife,” he said.
“But I think it’s just being kind of really mindful about where you’re spending your time and then sort of not being kind of really productive. With your time so that you know you’re getting the best out of every moment and also knowing, like, when to walk away.”
