A lack of business acumen, a highly risk-averse mindset, and inadequate leadership development have been identified as leadership gaps hindering the effectiveness of general counsel according to chief human resources officers, BarkerGilmore found in its report “The General Counsel Through the CHRO Lens: Insights on Leadership, Partnership, and Enterprise Impact.”
Thirty-six percent of CHROs cited the lack of an enterprise mindset as a gap; 18 percent cited excessively compliance-first thinking; another 18 percent pointed to leadership development gaps. The report also noted that succession planning is inconsistent and investment in future general counsels’ structured leadership development is lacking; many organizations report not having prepared successors within a 12-24 month period.
Moreover, CHROs indicated that their relationship with general counsel is inconsistently incorporated into current enterprise leadership. Many CHROs said they mainly engaged with general counsel when issues arose instead of working with them regularly and proactively on enterprise strategy, even though both roles are highly aligned.
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Almost two-thirds of CHROs reported high general counsel influence levels; however, only a few see general counsel as significant contributors to overall executive effectiveness, BarkerGilmore said. Thus, many organizations fail to maximize general counsel as strategic leadership assets.
Nonetheless, many CHROs have indicated that leadership attributes, rather than legal expertise, define high-performing general counsel. Sixty-eight percent highlighted emotional intelligence and executive presence as a key differentiator, while 64 percent highlighted the ability to influence without authority.
For CHROs, general counsels’ effectiveness is characterized by being a collaborative enterprise partner, juggling risk with business enablement, providing proactive strategic advice, and staying aligned with executive leadership. They are significant drivers of enterprise outcomes like shielding the organization, moulding culture and leadership standards, boosting board confidence, and facilitating strategic growth.
“The role has evolved far beyond technical legal oversight. CHROs increasingly expect general counsel to operate as enterprise leaders who shape culture, influence strategy, and strengthen executive team performance,” said John Gilmore, BarkerGilmore’s managing partner, in a statement.
The BarkerGilmore report “The GC-Board Alignment Gap: What Boards and General Counsel Say—and What Actually Happens” noted that while boards and general counsel agreed that general counsel should be contributing to shaping enterprise strategy, their work remains focused on operational and execution-driven work.