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Being an Exceptional GC/Head of Legal

Robin Moore -

To excel as a General Counsel or Head of Legal, one must be good at six things:

  1. Lawyering
  2. People management
  3. Project management
  4. Prioritizing (understanding the negative expected value of various issues and acting accordingly)
  5. Building scale
  6. Understanding the business

Much of this work is invisible to those outside your function and, in many instances, your manager. For instance, if you're a poor manager, only your direct reports will likely know.

So, you should also focus on qualities that are easily perceived.

Six Essential Qualities to Impress Executives

Your CEO will ultimately decide whether you'll be their General Counsel or Head of Legal. Here are the qualities they'll be looking for:

  1. Responsiveness: Respond promptly, within the hour, to any messages from exec clients or colleagues, even if just to acknowledge receipt.
  2. Clarity: Providing advice as simply as possible. Provide a concise summary or a 3-5 point tl;dr to make it easy for the reader.
  3. Structured thinking: Clearly present objectives, alternatives, and recommendations when proposing options.
  4. Pragmatism: Focus on what matters, avoiding the pitfall of getting lost in details. I.e., don't hold up a deal because you didn't get your preferred choice of law in an NDA.
  5. Conscientiousness: Keep track of tasks and maintain an organized system that you can demonstrate when asked. "Manage up" by providing status updates (in my first year or two at Grammarly, I gave the CEO a weekly status update on all things legal).
  6. Scalability: In a growing startup, address recurring issues with programmatic solutions, such as establishing protocols or creating FAQs for self-serve legal advice.

Additional Considerations

  • Communication is a key skill that underpins all of the above. To improve your writing, see Writing Excellent Legal Advice. You can also use ChatGPT to enhance your communication skills write better.
  • Develop multiple areas of expertise and master your core area.
  • Public writing (e.g., blog posts and industry articles) is an underrated way to establish credibility and hone your expertise. See Reasons to Write About What You Do.
  • Effective management boosts productivity and encourages growth. However, it requires significant learning and effort to become a skilled manager.
  • Keep up with sources that executives follow to gain insights into their perspectives on topics like fundraising and equity markets. For example, the All-In Podcast offers valuable summaries of the current zeitgeist.

If you're driven and capable enough to master all these skills, you'll likely be overqualified as a General Counsel. However, your expertise will undoubtedly open doors to even greater opportunities.