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Stop focusing on fires, and start thinking more broadly about your organization and your role in it. Let its strategy be your guide to more meaningful action and success. Strategic management professor Mara Lederman helps you cut through the buzzwords to explain what strategy is, what role it plays in an organization and why it matters to in-house counsel specifically.

Knowing yourself intimately, from emotional intelligence to communication style and personality strengths and weaknesses, will help you relate to your colleagues and perform at a higher level. CliftonStrengths is one assessment tool gaining traction.

The balancing act general counsel must play as trusted advisors is a tough one. Successfully mediating the space between the board and management takes soft skills, such as selfregulation, empathy and motivation. The good news is these skills can be developed. Begin with understanding the dynamics and move on to learning ways to build trust, credibility and heightened awareness.

The board of directors sits at the strategic, not operational, level, with a multitude of fiduciary responsibilities and liabilities. To understand and better work with it, it helps to seek out training and get a taste of what it is like to sit on a board. This author did just that and says her experience was invaluable for her, both professionally and personally.

Our values can help us in morally challenging moments if we are aware of them. Regularly taking stock helps us see whether we are in alignment with them or whether we need to adjust our course to perform at our best.

When designing a compliance program, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Staying informed and flexible is key. and remember you don’t have to go it alone—a wealth of guidance and resources are available to help.

Meet Daniel Bourque, 2019-20 CCCA Chair

Approach each new person and experience with kind curiosity and openness. You will have deeper connections, learn a lot about yourself and others, and create a culture where everyone feels like they belong.

Gender diversity has come a long way in Canada and in Mexico, where this author is now based. We should be proud of our successes—but remember there is still a long road ahead to achieve equity for all.

Diversity and inclusion are about building a culture where each person feels valued and their ideas are heard. The result is understanding and meeting the needs of diverse clients while fostering innovation and growth. So how can legal departments promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace and become leaders in their organizations?