I love my jobs. While I only work at MLC, I have two distinctly different, yet in some ways, similar jobs. One as a lobbyist, the other as president, where I manage and lead the organization.

At its core, a lobbyist is easy to define: a professional who tries to influence government officials on behalf of a client. The role of a lobbyist is to persuade lawmakers to support legislation that is beneficial to their clients or oppose legislation that is harmful. To do this, lobbyists must have a deep understanding of the legislative process and the ability to build relationships with elected officials.

Managing a firm is not an easy task. It requires a lot of dedication, hard work, and knowledge. Fortunately, I was given the opportunity on several occasions to manage other ventures prior to coming to MLC. While there are many different aspects to managing a firm, the primary responsibility is supporting and guiding the team and making sure our clients are happy.

My role also ranges from marketing and finance to HR and operations. To be a successful manager, you need to be able to understand all these different areas and how they interlink. There are many challenges that come with managing a firm, but if you’re up for the challenge it is a very rewarding experience.

There are similarities between these two roles, just like there were between managing a campaign for state representative and one for governor. The fundamentals are the same, but the scope and scale were vastly larger for the gubernatorial effort, along with the latter having some additional dynamics.

The most notable similarities between the lobbyist and president I see are, developing strategy and bringing about change. Neither client issues, nor our firm’s future, operate in a vacuum, both have forces we must navigate. Therefore, developing a proper strategy is a critical foundation for success with each.

The second similarity is bringing about change. For a client, seeking change comes in many forms. Proactively moving legislation, amending legislation so it does not harm them, or outright trying to stop it from passing. For our firm, change is continuous, it is the only way to constantly improve.

The most significant difference between the activity of a lobbyist and the leader of an organization is mindset. A lobbyist operates in a world of finite thinking. A game of win or lose. Two and four-year terms. A two-party, us versus them, system. Legislation that does not become a law dies at the end of the term, and chairs and committees’ membership have a two-year life.

Compare this with the infinite thinking of running the firm. This game never ends. It is not about winning or losing, it is about always getting better. As individuals and as a team. As the firm advances, our horizon moves an equal distance forward as well.

Pivoting between these two worlds provides me the opportunity to encounter both human nature and human aspirations, all in a day’s work. I love my jobs.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.