Leading with Intention: Your First 6 Months as General Counsel

Leading with Intention: Your First 6 Months as General Counsel

The transition into a general counsel or CLO role is both exciting and demanding—an opportunity to lead with impact and strategic alignment across the business. Whether you’re launching a legal function or taking the reins of an established department, your first six months carry high expectations and a steep learning curve—but also a rare opportunity to build trust, align with business leaders, and set the tone for how legal will operate under your leadership.

GC roles can vary widely. Some come with large teams and established infrastructure; others are solo roles in fast-growing companies. This guide is meant to flex across that spectrum—offering practical insights from GCs who’ve made the transition and know firsthand what it takes to lead well from the start.

We spoke with three members of Latitude’s client services and recruiting teams—each of whom has served as general counsel—to share their reflections on navigating the ramp-up period. By the time you walk through the door, you’ve likely done your diligence: studied the business, researched leadership, and considered the industry context. Once you arrive, it’s about translating that outside-in perspective into inside-out leadership.

What follows isn’t a checklist—it’s advice grounded in lived experience, shared to help you lead with clarity, connection, and confidence.

Start with People, Not Problems

The impulse to solve, restructure, or prove value on day one is strong. But the most effective GCs begin by listening and building trust before taking action.

“Your first job is to understand what makes the executive team tick—and become a productive part of that team quickly,” says Latitude’s Jorge de la Osa, former CLO at Bluegreen Vacations and Latitude Director of Recruiting and Placement. “Sometimes that means jumping into meetings or work tasks at 100 miles an hour. Other times, it’s slower and more observational. Let the company’s culture and needs set the pace.”

Meet with key stakeholders across the business: your CEO, CFO, CHRO, CRO, CIO, and other leaders who shape strategy and execution. Ask open-ended questions that invite candor and context:

• What are your biggest goals this year?
• Where is legal slowing things down?
• Where do you hope legal can add more value?
• What keeps you up at night?

Join department meetings. Shadow different functions. Ask for walkthroughs of workflows. Look for context, not just data.

Cynthia Moon, Latitude’s VP of Legal Recruiting and former GC and HR Director at a transportation company, recalled:

“When I came in, I didn’t know the industry very well. So, I got in a semi and did a ride along. If you’re in retail, work a shift. If you’re in manufacturing, get on the floor. You’re moving from purely a legal advisor to a business partner, and you should know the business as well as anyone else.”

For remote-first companies, this takes extra intention. Corey Adler, former Deputy GC at SwagUp and Latitude Partner, shared how he approached relationship-building in a fully remote role:

“Without hallway chats or casual day-to-day office interactions, everything had to be scheduled. I opened my calendar, encouraged Slack outreach, even met local teammates for coffee. It took effort—but those early connections were critical.”

Whether in-person or remote, presence, listening, and consistency build trust and connection.

Lead an Existing Legal Team with Care

If you’re stepping into an existing legal department, apply the same listening-first approach internally. Meet everyone—not just direct reports. Get the org chart and map out who does what, where pain points exist, and how the team interacts with the business.

Jorge shared, “I’m very visual. I asked for a legal org chart so I could see the team’s structure and interdependencies. Then I met with everyone. I listened more than I spoke. I took notes. Only later did I validate my assumptions and consider changes or improvements.”

Give yourself 60–90 days to observe before acting. It signals respect, builds rapport, and helps you lead with lasting credibility.

If outside counsel is part of the company’s portfolio, especially firms with long ties to leadership, move carefully. Jorge noted that in one early leadership role, he underestimated how closely external counsel was aligned with the CEO. Moving too quickly created political friction.

Before making changes, understand the history:

• Who brought the firm in?
• Where are they adding value—or where might there be challenges or gaps?
• How are they perceived internally?

There may be valid reasons to consolidate or shift work, but tact and transparency matter.

Connect Listening to Action

As you gather input, patterns emerge. You’ll start to see where things are working—and where legal can make an immediate impact.

Corey shared: “I started by understanding how people worked and where information flowed. From there, I could spot what processes were working, what wasn’t, and how tech was (or wasn’t) being used. That gave me the basis to build a roadmap: here’s what I want to address; but first, here’s how I can help right now.”

Early wins—like streamlining NDAs or accelerating contract review—demonstrate that legal is here to enable, not block. They also buy the credibility needed to push bigger initiatives.

Begin sketching a longer-term roadmap grounded in business goals. What changes will unlock the most strategic value? Where can legal drive scale or mitigate key risks?

“You have to balance your style with the company’s culture,” Corey added. “Coming in with ‘this is how I’ve always done it’ rarely works. Flexibility earns trust—especially in legal, where credibility is built collaboratively.”

Stay Nimble: Build for Agility Before You Commit

Rather than rushing to cement structures or processes, think about how you can stay agile while building toward long-term impact. Start by assessing what your department needs now—and what it might need in six or twelve months. Then, look at tools and resources that offer flexibility without compromising execution or momentum.

Bring in Interim Legal Talent
You may not have a clear hiring picture in your first few months, especially in post-acquisition or high-growth environments. Interim attorneys or other legal professionals can provide much-needed support while you assess team structure, identify gaps, or pilot new projects.

Cynthia shared: “I’m working with a GC right now who’s gained a larger legal department after a company acquisition. They’re still figuring out the structure of the team—what roles are needed and what gaps exist. They didn’t want to rush into hiring. Instead, they brought in temporary support to handle specialized contracts while they evaluated the bigger picture. It’s one of the best tools a GC can have—because it gives you the space to stabilize or pilot new directions without fully committing before you’re ready.”

Flexible legal talent can also be a strategic way to test new capabilities or manage surge periods—without locking into long-term decisions prematurely.

Evaluate Technology that Reduces Friction
Take stock of your legal tech stack. Are tools being used effectively? Where is there friction in how work gets done? Solutions like contract lifecycle management platforms, e-billing systems, or workflow automation tools can free up your team’s time and improve visibility.

Even simple adjustments—like refining intake processes or better organizing knowledge management—can significantly increase efficiency and reduce noise.

Lead Lightly While You Learn
It’s tempting to restructure teams or processes quickly but focus on building clarity before committing to big changes. That might mean holding off on new roles, workflows, or policies until you’ve gathered enough input to move with confidence.

Agility also comes from how you communicate. Set the tone that this is a learning period. Be transparent with your team and peers: you’re evaluating, asking questions, and making decisions intentionally—not reactively.

“It’s okay not to have all the answers right away,” Corey noted. “People respond well when you lead with curiosity and clarity of purpose.”

Agility isn’t indecision—it’s disciplined observation, paired with timely, strategic action.

Think Strategically—Even Before Day One

Some GCs begin ramping up even before they’re hired. The interview process is a strategic window.

Jorge puts it plainly: “Don’t wait until you’re in the seat to understand the company’s goals and strategy—and what the long-term goals and vision for the legal function are.”

He’s seen experienced candidates frame their questions progressively. Early-stage questions might center on business direction. Later conversations can probe deeper: What does the legal org look like today? What’s the CEO’s vision for the role? Is there buy-in for growth?

These questions deepen your insight—and signal that you’re already thinking like a strategic business leader.

Lead with Presence, Not Perfection

Ultimately, how you lead will leave a more lasting impression than what you deliver.

The first six months aren’t about reinventing the risk framework or solving every problem. They’re about building trust, demonstrating business acumen, and showing up consistently as a strategic partner.

As Cynthia put it: “Plenty of lawyers have the skills to spot issues and offer sound judgment. But the secret ingredient for a successful GC is mindset—having the emotional intelligence, pragmatism, and interpersonal skills to build trust and embed legal into the business.”

Look for early opportunities to loop in your executive peers—highlighting how legal is enabling progress, removing friction, or helping close key deals.

Final Thought

Legal expertise gets you in the door. Influence, adaptability, and alignment are what define your impact. Be visible. Be intentional. Lead with clarity.

And most of all, show the business that legal is a driver of strategic success.