Lawyers are often seen as risk-averse and impediments to business deals. This mistaken view especially affects general counsel (GCs), who can be left out of critical business discussions as a result. However, for those wanting to be regarded as business leaders, not just legal experts, there is a way to get past those stereotypes.
The fact is, GCs are like any other business leader, hoping to earn a seat at the table with trusted executives at the top of the decision-making chain. To overcome preconceived notions about their position, creating a strong personal brand is the answer—and the following tips can help.
Control caution, talk commercial
Lawyers are trained to think logically and ask questions that are often risk-related. Unfortunately, this can reinforce the belief that their abundance of caution will jeopardize or slow down advancements. On the other hand, asking commercial questions provides a means to create and enhance relationships.
For instance, I was approached with a partnership agreement offering 250 leads monthly at a cost of $12 per lead. Instead of focusing on what may go wrong, I brought up commercial questions such as “How do you define a lead and ensure its quality?” This shift in questioning turned the legal discussion to commercial potential, showing I was open to prioritizing business results and wouldn’t get bogged down by caution.
That said, when evaluating contracts and partnerships, start with commercialization in mind and glean as much as you can from your company’s own experts. This will put you in the optimum position to guide the conversation legally, balanced with the right business context.
Use empathy effectively
Lawyers typically have healthy emotional intelligence, which is usually used to negotiate with third parties rather than internal stakeholders. When GCs update their internal team about the contract process, be sure to explain how any potential risk could impact other parties.
You want to discuss risk in a way that ties back to personal interests, making it more relatable. If you’re working with sales on a contract and a disagreement arises, try talking about the effect this could have on the salesperson. You might say, “We’re in good shape overall, but there could be an issue with payment figures that’ll impact your commission.”
Make sure everyone understands they share the same challenges. By linking to personal interests, the conversation becomes relevant and can punctuate a team approach. By highlighting another perspective, and acting accordingly, you’ll change how others think of you, too.
Advocate for yourself
In the past, I’d get frustrated when people thought of me as just the “guy from legal”. That or I’d get peppered with every legal question under the sun, often with no connection to business. It finally dawned on me that the C-suite and board weren’t asking me questions and that I was furthering legal stereotypes rather than establishing a presence on the commercial side of the business.
Over time, I was able to change perceptions by emphasizing my efforts in building high-value business partnerships. I regularly reinforced that I had a significant hand in meeting business objectives, which eventually made its way up to the board. It wasn’t long before they wouldn’t discuss major commercial agreements unless I was present because they realized I was the one generating them.
With a focus on positives and my contributions to key metrics, I became aligned with our top goals. While immersing myself in the business and concentrating on objectives, I was able to build my personal brand in a way that was natural.
Raise your role
By immersing myself in operational business aspects, I’ve learned what makes a business tick. Understanding where we needed to go from a business perspective also provided a clear path for me to show how I helped achieve key objectives.
GCs should make sure in-house legal teams have a handle on projections and metrics, too. Most boards have a few targets and metrics they follow, and in investor-backed businesses, they govern everything. A focus on meeting metrics rather than potential risks creates less friction.
In-house counsel should establish personal brands that go beyond the realm of legal and sync with strategic business goals. By thinking commercially and mixing empathy and self-advocacy, GCs can raise their profile and how they’re perceived within a company and the greater business community.
So, when you have a chance to highlight your business chops, do so, whether it’s in a formal meeting or informal interaction. When GCs show they’re business enablers and not just legal advisors, stereotypes are put to rest, and they become integral to those discussions that drive a company’s future success.
Tom Dunlop is the Co-Founder & CEO of Summize.
