Career

As the business landscape evolves, so does the role of gC. What then differentiates the “good” from the “great”? What are the top behaviours of those who move to executive?

How you present yourself matters. As professionals, we pride ourselves on our legal and industry knowledge and our business acumen. However, conveying this expertise to communicate complex ideas, move items forward and influence strategic decisions can be challenging. Whether our audience is one or many, a growth mindset, a confident (and self-aware) approach and positive body language are paramount to success.

I work in-house for a Canadian-based conglomerate in Mexico City. Here’s how i got here and some advice for anyone looking to move beyond Canada’s borders.

In recent years, “innovation” has become the legal industry buzzword that everyone is talking about. However, the true purpose and mechanics of innovation have largely been lost in myth and mystique.

Many departments in a company, like many sectors of the corporate world, embrace technology and innovation quickly, while others, like legal, seem to get left behind. We in the law group here at Bruce Power, however, focus on getting ahead.

As the first GC at a company, this author learned the importance of relationships, transferrable skills, being flexible and staying true to herself—and her knowledge continues to grow with her experience.

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.

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.

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?