In-house lawyers as leaders: what is good leadership?

Now in its 5th year, the CLL Development Programme is an interactive series built around all those issues that matter to in-house lawyers and covering skills, management, leadership, strategy, relationships and career. It’s open to all in-house lawyers, wherever you work and whatever your level of experience. 

This session will look at the characteristics of legal leadership; developing leaders; persuading and influencing others; the ethical dimension.

Leadership is a much talked about topic. It’s often defined in different ways, often in the context of someone carrying out a senior role in an organisation. But the characteristics of leadership seem to extend beyond a person’s role and don’t seem confined to only senior roles. And sometimes those in senior roles don’t always demonstrate the leadership we expect from them. 

So, what is leadership, particular in the context of in-house lawyers, and why does it matter? Is leadership something you either have, or haven’t got, or can it be learned? And, if so, how?

We’ll be looking at issues such as: -

“Surely, only GCs need to be leaders. It’s not relevant to the other lawyers in the team, is it?”

“Isn’t leadership just about being a good manager? They’re one and the same, right?”

“I accept that leadership can be learnt. But to do that you need to define it and teach it and I’m not sure how to go about that. What are the characteristics of a good leader?”

“As a leader in a senior position, I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to encourage and develop other leaders. But I’m not sure how to go about this in my own team.”

“People sometimes talk about lawyers being the conscience of the organisation. I’m not entirely comfortable with this as it’s surely not just our responsibility? Does the in-house lawyer’s role go beyond being efficient, effective and client-focused? Should you also be an ethical voice in your organisation?”