Neither the CEO nor board will respond positively to an autocratic manner. To fill the desired place in the senior management team, the general counsel's legal expertise and reputation must be outstanding. Additionally, general counsels are finding themselves in the public eye more frequently. While undertaking a lead role in major cases is expected, this executive cannot do it all. Most often, the general counsel's management skills determine success in this newly expanded strategic role.
Peers expect general counsels to be effective managers.
They are to lead the internal staff and develop them into a crack team, one that understands corporate goals and works with others in the organization to attain them. Rather than continuing to operate in a relatively insulated environment with little exposure to the business, the internal team is expected to collaborate with management and professionals from other areas in the company. To achieve this, general counsels are to take an active role in recruitment, training, and evaluation of the internal legal staff, even mentor individuals. This knowledge will help the general counsel make the best use of the internal staff's time and talents and, when necessary, quickly and confidently decide to use outside counsel. The relationship with outside counsel also requires deft management.