In-House Counsel

With Responsibility Comes Opportunity

As a general counsel, you have an opportunity to impact your company in a way other executive-level leaders can’t.

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Like it or not, if you are a general counsel, you are a leader. It does not matter if you are an office of one or if you are an office of many. You are not only an executive-level leader who, in most cases, works closely not only with your company’s executive staff — chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief operating officer, and chief information officer — you are also someone who works closely with those employees who are not part of the executive staff.

The general counsel position comes not only with great responsibility, but the general counsel position also comes with great opportunity. As a general counsel, you have an opportunity to impact your company in a way other executive-level leaders can’t because of the unique nature of your position. Because you work closely with everyone in the company, you have a company perspective very few executive-level leaders have. It is because of that perspective you are often in a position where you can often bridge the gap between the managers and the managed. How do you bridge that gap?

You Learn About Your Company’s Business

First and foremost, your client is the company. To serve your company well, you need to know not only about the company’s business, vision, mission, and goals, you also need to understand something about your company’s customers.

You Get To Know Your Clients — All Of Them

While it is important to remember that the company is the client, it is also important to also remember that to fully serve the company, you need to serve your internal business partners within the company as though they were your clients. To serve these clients, you need to become familiar with what they do. The best way to get to know these clients is to go to where they work. Talk to them. Listen to them. Take the time to see how you can best serve their needs.

You Get To Know Where Your Clients Work — All Of Them

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When you visit your clients where they work, you can take the time to tour their area and understand more about their role in the company’s business operations. The more you know about your client, what your client does, and where they do it, the better position you will be in to help if, and when, issues arise.

You Regularly Attend Departmental Meetings

Take the time to attend departmental meetings. When you take the time to do it, you will learn more about what your company does and how your company does it. If you are present when issues are discussed and solutions are proposed, you will have a chance to spot potential issues and address them proactively.

You Take The Time To Get Familiar With Your Company’s Past Legal Issues

When you first assume the role of general counsel, you will likely talk with company leaders to discuss the company’s past legal issues, the company’s current legal issues, as well as any potential areas of concern. When you are cognizant of these these issues past and present, you are perfectly positioned to help prevent future problems.

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You Work Collaboratively With Your Clients To Solve Problems

As a leader, you work hard to establish an open, honest, and professional relationships will all your clients. You take the initiative to ensure that communication flows freely and regularly in both directions.

When your client comes to you with issues, you work collaboratively with them to find solutions. You ask your client what your client thinks of the problem and how your client believes the problem should be solved. You ask about your client’s ultimate objective and you ask about the challenges your client faces in the pursuit of that objective.

You Give A Voice To The Voiceless When You Take Your Seat With The Executive-Level Leadership Staff

When you take your seat at the leadership table with the company’s executive-level leaders, you have a perspective not many people at that table will have. Unlike many of the executive-level leaders at the table, you will have a broader understanding of the company’s business operations and the business challenges. Armed with this understanding, you have the opportunity to become a voice to those internal clients not sitting at the table. When you do your job responsibly and thoroughly, you provide value to the the executive leadership team because you can share information that will help the leadership team make well-reasoned fact-based decisions that will best serve the interests of your client — all of them.

Whatever you do, don’t squander your opportunity!

Lisa Lang is an in-house lawyer and thought leader who is passionate about all things in-house.  She has recently launched a website and blog Why This, Not That™ to serve as a resource for in-house lawyers.  You can e-mail her at lisa@lawyerlisalang.com, connect with her on LinkedIn, or follow her on Twitter.

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