GCs Can Navigate Uncertainty With These Leadership Strategies

In today’s global corporate environment, the challenges of strategic leadership for in-house counsel include rapid technological transformations, broad organizational changes, and political uncertainties.

As legal department leaders plan for the year, it is imperative to navigate these complexities with a focus on workforce dynamics, mission, and empathy.

Embrace Diversity of Experience

The current workforce spans five generations (Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z), creating a diverse environment for organizations undergoing changes and adopting new technology. Leaders should view the seeming disparity among the generations as an invitation to invest in their teams’ career growth and bridge gaps.

Work styles range from the structured, loyalty-driven approaches of earlier generations to the independent, tech-savvy, and collaborative preferences of more recent ones. To maintain momentum and productivity, leaders must embrace and integrate this wide array of preferences and expectations.

For instance, leaders can support team integration by establishing or strengthening mentorship programs that pair less-experienced employees with seasoned mentors. Mentorship provides guidance, support, and a pathway for knowledge transfer. Offering continuous learning opportunities through workshops, online courses, and certifications can help team members of all experience levels stay up-to-date with industry developments and skills.

To keep attorneys of all experience levels engaged and well-rounded, consider creating a comprehensive rotation program. I’ve done this with a commercial contracts team of more than 20 attorneys, building sectoral expertise by leading, then rotating, attorneys through client industry groups such as health care and manufacturing.

The program enhanced subject matter-specific drafting and negotiation skills, provided exposure to various aspects of the legal function, and additionally helped individuals discover strengths and interests. Attorneys also shared client experiences and strategies, which created opportunities to distill and spread best practices.

In another company, I developed a peer learning program, which encouraged team members to present “mini CLEs” on their work. Although parameters were loose, collaboration with at least one other person was required and discussion needed to incorporate legal and business considerations. This initiative created leadership opportunities, fostered relationships, and facilitated an exchange of ideas, enhancing both individual and team development.

Mission as North Star

Aligning work with the organization’s mission can be a powerful motivator in uncertain times. A clear mission serves as a North Star, fostering unity and focus. It empowers employees to prioritize effectively, aligning their efforts with broader strategic goals.

Especially where an organization has recently restructured, clarifying or reinforcing the company and department mission becomes vital to guide teams and decision-making. This shared understanding strengthens morale, and ensures that, regardless of shifting circumstances, everyone is driven by a cohesive vision, leading to more resilient and adaptive outcomes.

In one of my organizations, we rallied around the mission of creating world-class games that provide new, experiential, and highly interactive experiences. This was defined as striving for game development excellence through a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Even when a game didn’t perform as expected, the outcomes were still aligned with our mission goals, providing valuable experiential insights, creating technical launchpads for future projects, and boosting the team’s motivation.

Another organization I led underwent significant changes, including mergers and acquisitions activity and shifts in strategic direction. I found myself often referring back to the enterprise goals of technology transformation to support the department. Focusing on the company’s core values and the legal team’s role provided an anchor as the work and direction continued to shift rapidly. I suggest offsite meetings twice a year for teams to build goals and ensure alignment with the organization.

Emphasize Empathy

In times of uncertainty and change, empathy is a critical leadership trait, fostering trust and resilience within a team. Empathy allows leaders to connect with their teams on a human level, acknowledging the challenges and stressors that may affect performance and well-being. Empathetic leadership not only boosts morale but also enhances a team’s adaptability: Team members are more willing to contribute their best when they know their concerns are genuinely considered.

Being open and honest with your team about the challenges and uncertainties facing the organization is essential. Providing regular updates, even when the answers aren’t clear, can help alleviate anxiety and build trust. An example of embracing transparency arose during a restructuring within our organization. During the process, we held regular town hall meetings to update the team on the changes, why they were necessary, and how they would impact the organization. We also set up anonymous suggestion boxes to allow team members to voice their concerns and ask questions without fear of reprisal.

Empathetic managers are also mindful of timing when navigating difficult situations, especially in proximity to an individual’s personal milestones. Being considerate about the timing of difficult conversations, such as terminations, shows respect for the person affected and reinforces trust within the team by signaling that leadership values employees as people, not just as workers.

For instance, postponing difficult conversations when they would coincide with significant events, such as a birthday, wedding, or family celebration, can prevent unnecessary emotional distress and uphold the individual’s dignity and the team’s morale.

And as leaders, we must recognize that our role in employee offboarding requires empathy. Managers must remember that employees incorporate company-issued benefits into their lives. An unexpected employee offboarding, for example, may have significant health-care consequences to them. Being prepared to answer questions and provide guidance on next steps can provide clarity and relieve anxiety for the employee.

Similarly, financial incentives, such as stock options or employee stock option plans, create vesting schedules where maturation occurs on a specific day. Adjusting terminations around stock vest dates can signal recognition of the employee’s contributions, and that the employee has relied on the company promises. Developing HR or individual managerial practices that run diligence on all company benefits can smooth this process.

Embrace the current uncertainty as an opportunity for growth and empathy. Take these insights to heart and champion change within your organization. Your leadership will guide your team through challenges and inspire a new era of resilience and excellence.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law and Bloomberg Tax, or its owners.

Author Information

Amy Yeung has served in senior and executive legal leadership, counseling fast-growth private and Fortune 1000 public companies. Yeung has also served in leadership capacities in legal operations, DEI, and innovative leadership, including in her current positions as past chair of the Law Department Management Network of the Association of Corporate Counsel and a fellow of the College of Law Practice Management.

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