Key Takeaways
Stepping into a general counsel role comes with immediate pressure to make an impact, but the most successful transitions are built on understanding the business, cultivating key relationships, and developing a broader commercial perspective. Drawing on insights from more than 150 sitting general counsel, this guide outlines the foundational steps that help new legal leaders establish credibility, build trust, and position their function for long-term success.- Prioritize learning how the business operates, including its growth drivers, risks, culture, leadership dynamics, and legal team capabilities.
- Invest early in relationships, particularly with the CEO, executive team, mentors, and fellow general counsel, as strong relationships are a critical driver of success.
- Develop commercial fluency by understanding business objectives and aligning legal guidance with strategic goals.
- Establish trust through preparation, active listening, authenticity, and a visible commitment to supporting the organization's priorities.
- Use the first 90 days to assess risks, opportunities, talent needs, outside counsel relationships, and the future direction of the legal function.
Few career moments carry the same mix of excitement and pressure as stepping into a general counsel seat. The opening stretch can feel overwhelming, with more to absorb than time allows. Yet the choices made in those early weeks shape what follows. The GC who thrive tend to do three things well from the outset: learn the business, invest in the right relationships, and develop the commercial instincts that turn skilled lawyers into true business partners.
This guidance reflects insights from an MLA survey of more than 150 sitting general counsel, who were asked to look back on their first GC appointment and identify what they wish they had understood from day one. Their advice points to a practical truth: the first 90 days are less about having every answer and more about building the context, trust, and judgment needed to lead well.
Learn the Business from the Ground Up
No two companies operate the same way, even within the same industry. Give yourself permission to be curious. Early on, focus on these areas:
- How the company makes money: What drives growth, where do the risks sit, and what opportunities are ahead?
- How legal creates value: Where has legal already moved the needle, and where could it do more?
- How the company competes: Who are the main competitors, and how is the company positioned?
- How the culture works: What is the unwritten playbook for getting things done, surfacing disagreements, and making decisions?
- Who leads, and how: What keeps senior leaders up at night, and how has legal historically worked with each function?
- What drives the CEO: What sits at the top of the CEO’s agenda, and how does that agenda shape decisions about growth, risk, and change?
- What your team can do: Do you have the right capabilities in place, and where could the team contribute more?
Make Relationships a Priority
When experienced general counsel were asked what mattered most in their transition, the answer was consistent: relationships. Nearly seven in ten pointed to their connection with the C-suite as the single most important factor in their success. Three priorities are especially important early on:
- Win the confidence of the executive team. Understand the leadership strategy and how legal can help advance it. The modern GC is expected to be a business partner, not a compliance gatekeeper on the sidelines.
- Cultivate a circle beyond the company walls. Fellow legal leaders can help you compare notes, pressure-test decisions, and navigate a role that can otherwise feel isolating.
- Seek out mentors early. Seasoned GC often say they wish they had reached out to experienced peers sooner instead of trying to figure everything out alone.
Think Like a Business Leader, Not Only a Lawyer
Commercial fluency increasingly separates a capable lawyer from an indispensable one. Organizations want a general counsel who can steady the ship, act with integrity, and adjust quickly as business conditions change.
Treat every early conversation as a chance to understand the commercial engine of the business, not only its legal exposure. The leaders who embrace that wider remit are the ones who earn lasting influence.
Earn Trust Through How You Show Up
Every early interaction is a quiet audition. The goal is to establish yourself as a credible legal expert, steady adviser, and genuine business leader. That starts with preparation, especially in high-stakes moments such as board meetings, shareholder gatherings, transactions, disputes, and other time-sensitive matters.
It also depends on how you lead. Stay authentic, listen more than you speak, and ask people where they believe your attention belongs. Inviting perspective sharpens your understanding and signals that you intend to lead with curiosity, discipline, and respect.
Shape a Point of View
As the pieces start to fit together, use the first 90 days to form a point of view on how legal can deliver the greatest impact with finite resources.
A few questions are worth sitting with:
- Picture where things are heading. What will land on legal’s desk a year from now, or further out?
- Take stock of the talent you need. Which skills matter now, and which will the business need next?
- Keep an eye on the numbers. Where can technology, staffing, or outside counsel choices create better leverage?
- Bring the CEO along. Share your developing vision so priorities stay aligned with what matters most at the top.
A Simple Rhythm for the First 90 Days
A simple rhythm can help new GC turn listening and relationship-building into a practical plan:
- Week one: Listen. Resist drawing conclusions before you have earned the context to draw them well.
- First month: Pin down the three biggest threats and three most promising opportunities facing the company and department.
- By day 90: Assess outside counsel relationships and be intentional about time with the CEO and business leaders.
Wisdom From Those Who Have Done It
Asked what they would handle differently, experienced GC returned to a few regrets worth learning from:
- They would have leaned on more mentors among their general counsel peers.
- They would have staffed the department properly and sooner.
- They would have connected more directly with technical and operational teams.
- They would have been more disciplined about their time with the CEO while engaging more broadly across the business.
A Closing Thought
Expect the first 90 days to feel like a sprint. The goal is not to master everything at once, but to build the context, relationships, and judgment needed to lead with confidence.
In MLA’s work with general counsel and legal leadership teams, the strongest transitions tend to share the same foundation: business fluency, trusted relationships, and a clear point of view on how legal can help the organization move forward.
