How to Lead People Who Were Once Your Peers

Strategic Advisor and Coach Marla Persky, former Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of Boehringer Ingelheim USA, is joined by Tim Murphy, Corporate Vice President and General Counsel of Hollister Incorporated, to compare and contrast the challenges faced by legal and compliance leaders who are promoted from within.  The practical advice provided by these seasoned GCs is critical for legal executives who are climbing the corporate ladder and who are making, or planning to make, a successful transition from colleague to boss.

Below are highlights from the webinar.  To learn more, the video recording, slide presentation, and podcast are available on this page.

The challenges faced by a General Counsel or Chief Compliance Officer joining a new company have been widely recognized and addressed by experienced legal advisors to help these newcomers navigate their new role.  But when an internal candidate is promoted to GC or CCO, it is equally important to identify and understand the dynamics that take place, as well as the unique issues they face managing their former peers within a department that has its own challenges.

Be open, honest, and take a step back.

True of any change, everyone involved needs to assess the situation and orient themselves to a new landscape.  The legal leader needs to adjust to his or her new role, just as the team needs to adjust to their new leader.  To establish authority as a new leader, take a very honest and open approach, verbally acknowledging to the legal team that it is going to take some time to acclimate.  A leader coming from the outside takes time to assess the situation, while a leader promoted from within may have had a number of years to assess what is working, what is not working, and who is a valuable team member.  Even with that prior knowledge, it is a mistake to make any immediate changes, so take a step back and let everyone get used to the new state of affairs.

“Change is scary, and it takes a while for people to adjust.  I think what is critical, even though you know the individuals on your team because you have closely worked together, often for many years, is to meet with them one-on-one almost immediately so they know where they stand with you.  An open-door policy is also essential to make sure these individuals find you open-minded and approachable and can come into your office to discuss issues and ask questions.”
Marla Persky

Establish a new team dynamic and an espirit de corps.

To begin to establish authority and no longer be perceived as a colleague, ask the human resources department, or hire an outside consultant, to facilitate a new leader assimilation.  This quick, efficient, and interactive process can address the concerns of the team, refocus the group, set expectations, and establish a communication pattern.  The facilitator will meet with team members to discuss their expectations of the new leader.  For example, the facilitator may question what they really liked or disliked about the previous GC and what they would like the new GC to replicate or not replicate.  The facilitator may also ask the group to hypothesize about what they would like the leader to do to help them thrive as a team.

“This process is far more about expectations of the leadership team, the department, and the leader of the department.  It is not about the individual team member or what it means for their career since those questions will be addressed in one-on-one discussions with the leader.  New leader assimilation can establish a new team dynamic and an esprit de corps in a reconstituted team.  For the legal leader, the feedback is level setting, creating the foundation for how they will govern and communicate with the team.”
Marla Persky

Maintain distance with former colleagues.

There is truth to the adage that it is “lonely at the top.”  To be a successful leader, it will be   necessary to pull away from former colleagues to not only establish and maintain authority, but to effectively manage them.  A legal leader can be friendly and warm, humane and respectful, but can no longer be a best friend or “buddy.”  The fact is that becoming a legal leader forever changes peer relationships.

“Distancing yourself doesn’t mean you suddenly stop talking to your friends, but rather beginning to put some space between you in the relationship.  Now having the authority to fire and promote individuals, everything between you and your colleagues has changed.  First and foremost, your relationship needs to be a professional relationship.  As a leader, it’s time to think of your role is as a supervisor of people, a promoter of company initiatives, and a creator and sustainer of company culture; your role is a whole lot different now.”
Tim Murphy

Marla Persky and our team of professionals are happy to help accelerate the initiatives that you’re already pursuing or to supplement your current strategic thinking to help you realize your vision.  Please reach out if you or your organization may benefit from our recruiting, leadership development and coaching, or legal and compliance department consulting services.  Let us help you build and optimize your legal and compliance departments.