Resilient Leadership Approaches

“We’ll handle it.” That phrase almost broke my team. When I was GC at a fast-scaling company, every week delivered a fresh storm of priorities. Revenue teams needed faster contracts. Finance demanded spend reductions. Product launched AI pilots without legal review. And leadership expected Legal to move at the speed of execution without ever slowing the business. I tried to say yes. I thought it showed partnership. But it created confusion and resentment. We delivered everything, and somehow, it still wasn’t enough. This pressure is accelerating in the age of AI. Expectations scale. Resources don’t. And Legal is often the last to be consulted but the first to be blamed. The problem is not capability. It’s clarity. The most effective GCs are not trying to cover every ask. They are naming the tradeoffs, translating risk into business language, and building frameworks that help executives choose with intent. One reframed AI pilots by mapping value to risk. She launched only in low-friction areas and backed it with data. Her dashboard showed where Legal accelerated deals rather than blocked them. That shift earned trust. Another made it a habit to name tradeoffs in meetings. Instead of reacting to urgency, he paused and asked which path best supported this quarter’s strategy. That question changed how the business saw Legal. Not as a bottleneck, but as a navigator. I share more on this shift in my latest newsletter: The Most Dangerous Answer a GC Can Give: Yes to Everything. Legal cannot automate its way out of impossible asks. But it can clarify the choices, make risk visible, and help the business decide what truly matters. What’s one tradeoff you’ve made that shaped better decisions? #GC #AI #CorporateCounsel -------- 🚀 Olga V. Mack 🔹 Building trust in commerce, contracts & products 🔹 Sales acceleration advocate 🔹 Keynote Speaker | AI & Business Strategist 📩 Let’s connect & collaborate 📰 Subscribe to Notes to My (Legal) Self

Uncertainty isn’t the enemy of leadership. Silence in uncertainty is. Markets shift. Geopolitics flare. Technology disrupts. No leader can predict exactly what comes next. The mistake isn’t saying “I don’t know.” The mistake is leaving it there. Silence creates space for fear. Scenarios create space for confidence. The leaders I know say this: “We don’t know the future…But here are three ways it could play out, and here’s how we’ll respond to each.” That shift replaces anxiety with structure. Here’s how scenarios guide decisions: 1. Best Case → Maximise Opportunity • If growth rebounds, be ready to scale • Line up resources and move first • Optimism matters only if you’re prepared 2. Base Case → Navigate Steady State • In uneven recovery discipline wins • Tier your investments • Forecast cash tightly • Normalise quarterly adjustments 3. Worst Case → Build Resilience • Protect non-negotiables • Pre-approve cost levers • Over-communicate with empathy, reinforce purpose • Trust is forged in downturns, not booms. The real power is in cascading this skill to teams: → Model vulnerability (“I don’t know yet”) → Teach them to sketch 3 scenarios in 15 minutes → Anchor every path to concrete actions → Repeat until it becomes part of culture At 6 months, fear gives way to clarity. At 2 years, resilience becomes second nature. Remember, great leaders don’t eliminate uncertainty. They equip their people to move confidently within it. That’s how you scale trust, resilience, and momentum, inside your company and across your partnerships. --------------------------- Avoid missing insights like this. Get cheatsheets like this each Wednesday. Subscribe to my free newsletter: https://philhsc.com ➕ Follow me, Phil Hayes-St Clair for more like this.

I was Wrong about Influence. Early in my career, I believed influence in a decision-making meeting was the direct outcome of a strong artifact presented and the ensuing discussion. However, with more leadership experience, I have come to realize that while these are important, there is something far more important at play. Influence, for a given decision, largely happens outside of and before decision-making meetings. Here's my 3 step approach you can follow to maximize your influence: (#3 is often missed yet most important) 1. Obsess over Knowing your Audience Why: Understanding your audience in-depth allows you to tailor your communication, approach and positioning. How: ↳ Research their backgrounds, how they think, what their goals are etc. ↳ Attend other meetings where they are present to learn about their priorities, how they think and what questions they ask. Take note of the topics that energize them or cause concern. ↳ Engage with others who frequently interact with them to gain additional insights. Ask about their preferences, hot buttons, and any subtle cues that could be useful in understanding their perspective. 2. Tailor your Communication Why: This ensures that your message is not just heard but also understood and valued. How: ↳ Seek inspiration from existing artifacts and pickup queues on terminologies, context and background on the give topic. ↳ Reflect on their goals and priorities, and integrate these elements into your communication. For instance, if they prioritize efficiency, highlight how your proposal enhances productivity. ↳Ask yourself "So what?" or "Why should they care" as a litmus test for relatability of your proposal. 3. Pre-socialize for support Why: It allows you to refine your approach, address potential objections, and build a coalition of support (ahead of and during the meeting). How: ↳ Schedule informal discussions or small group meetings with key stakeholders or their team members to discuss your idea(s). A casual coffee or a brief virtual call can be effective. Lead with curiosity vs. an intent to respond. ↳ Ask targeted questions to gather feedback and gauge reactions to your ideas. Examples: What are your initial thoughts on this draft proposal? What challenges do you foresee with this approach? How does this align with our current priorities? ↳ Acknowledge, incorporate and highlight the insights from these pre-meetings into the main meeting, treating them as an integral part of the decision-making process. What would you add? PS: BONUS - Following these steps also expands your understanding of the business and your internal network - both of which make you more effective. --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

𝐈𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝. . . After 15-20 years of experience, failure should not shock you. But it still does. A deal collapses. A strategy misfires. A promotion goes elsewhere. The real impact is not external. It is internal. High competence outside. Silent self-doubt inside. Many senior professionals manage success well. Few manage setbacks well. And that is where executive presence is built. I once observed a seasoned technology leader after a major delivery failure. No excuses. No visible panic. Just one sentence. “I take responsibility. Here is the learning.” The room shifted. Trust increased. Because leadership maturity is emotional regulation under pressure. Not perfection. Not constant winning. 1️⃣ Control your response before controlling the narrative. Calm thinking protects long-term credibility. 2️⃣ Separate ego from accountability. Ownership strengthens influence. 3️⃣ Convert failure into learning agility. Reflection creates strategic clarity. 𝐴 𝑀𝑐𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑦 𝑜𝑛 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 2.4𝑥 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑟𝑠. 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑒 — 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑖𝑡. This is leadership resilience. And, resilience builds long-term professional credibility. To your leadership, Coach Vandana Dubey 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝐸𝑛𝑟𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑠 #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutivePresence #LeadershipResilience 𝐑̲𝐞̲𝐬̲𝐞̲𝐚̲𝐫̲𝐜̲𝐡̲ ̲𝐑̲𝐞̲𝐟̲𝐞̲𝐫̲𝐞̲𝐧̲𝐜̲𝐞̲𝐬̲:̲ ̲ ̲𝐌̲𝐜̲𝐊̲𝐢̲𝐧̲𝐬̲𝐞̲𝐲̲ ̲&̲ ̲𝐂̲𝐨̲𝐦̲𝐩̲𝐚̲𝐧̲𝐲̲ ̲–̲ ̲𝐋̲𝐞̲𝐚̲𝐝̲𝐞̲𝐫̲𝐬̲𝐡̲𝐢̲𝐩̲ ̲𝐄̲𝐟̲𝐟̲𝐞̲𝐜̲𝐭̲𝐢̲𝐯̲𝐞̲𝐧̲𝐞̲𝐬̲𝐬̲ ̲𝐚̲𝐧̲𝐝̲ ̲𝐋̲𝐞̲𝐚̲𝐫̲𝐧̲𝐢̲𝐧̲𝐠̲ ̲𝐀̲𝐠̲𝐢̲𝐥̲𝐢̲𝐭̲𝐲̲ ̲ ̲𝐡̲𝐭̲𝐭̲𝐩̲𝐬̲:̲/̲/̲𝐰̲𝐰̲𝐰̲.̲𝐦̲𝐜̲𝐤̲𝐢̲𝐧̲𝐬̲𝐞̲𝐲̲.̲𝐜̲𝐨̲𝐦̲/̲𝐜̲𝐚̲𝐩̲𝐚̲𝐛̲𝐢̲𝐥̲𝐢̲𝐭̲𝐢̲𝐞̲𝐬̲/̲𝐩̲𝐞̲𝐨̲𝐩̲𝐥̲𝐞̲-̲𝐚̲𝐧̲𝐝̲-̲𝐨̲𝐫̲𝐠̲𝐚̲𝐧̲𝐢̲𝐳̲𝐚̲𝐭̲𝐢̲𝐨̲𝐧̲𝐚̲𝐥̲-̲𝐩̲𝐞̲𝐫̲𝐟̲𝐨̲𝐫̲𝐦̲𝐚̲𝐧̲𝐜̲𝐞̲/̲𝐨̲𝐮̲𝐫̲-̲𝐢̲𝐧̲𝐬̲𝐢̲𝐠̲𝐡̲𝐭̲𝐬̲ ̲ ̲𝐇̲𝐚̲𝐫̲𝐯̲𝐚̲𝐫̲𝐝̲ ̲𝐁̲𝐮̲𝐬̲𝐢̲𝐧̲𝐞̲𝐬̲𝐬̲ ̲𝐑̲𝐞̲𝐯̲𝐢̲𝐞̲𝐰̲ ̲–̲ ̲𝐓̲𝐡̲𝐞̲ ̲𝐌̲𝐚̲𝐤̲𝐢̲𝐧̲𝐠̲ ̲𝐨̲𝐟̲ ̲𝐚̲ ̲𝐂̲𝐨̲𝐫̲𝐩̲𝐨̲𝐫̲𝐚̲𝐭̲𝐞̲ ̲𝐀̲𝐭̲𝐡̲𝐥̲𝐞̲𝐭̲𝐞̲ ̲ ̲𝐡̲𝐭̲𝐭̲𝐩̲𝐬̲:̲/̲/̲𝐡̲𝐛̲𝐫̲.̲𝐨̲𝐫̲𝐠̲/̲𝟐̲𝟎̲𝟎̲𝟏̲/̲𝟎̲𝟏̲/̲𝐭̲𝐡̲𝐞̲-̲𝐦̲𝐚̲𝐤̲𝐢̲𝐧̲𝐠̲-̲𝐨̲𝐟̲-̲𝐚̲-̲𝐜̲𝐨̲𝐫̲𝐩̲𝐨̲𝐫̲𝐚̲𝐭̲𝐞̲-̲𝐚̲𝐭̲𝐡̲𝐥̲𝐞̲𝐭̲𝐞̲

One of the hardest balances to master as a leader is staying informed about your team’s work without crossing the line into micromanaging them. You want to support them, remove roadblocks, and guide outcomes without making them feel like you’re hovering. Here’s a framework I’ve found effective for maintaining that balance: 1. Set the Tone Early Make it clear that your intent is to support, not control. For example: “We’ll need regular updates to discuss progress and so I can effectively champion this work in other forums. My goal is to ensure you have what you need, to help where it’s most valuable, and help others see the value you’re delivering.” 2. Create a Cadence of Check-Ins Establish structured moments for updates to avoid constant interruptions. Weekly or biweekly check-ins with a clear agenda help: • Progress: What’s done? • Challenges: What’s blocking progress? • Next Steps: What’s coming up? This predictability builds trust while keeping everyone aligned. 3. Ask High-Leverage Questions Stay focused on outcomes by asking strategic questions like: • “What’s the biggest risk right now?” • “What decisions need my input?” • “What’s working that we can replicate?” This approach keeps the conversation productive and empowering. 4. Define Metrics and Milestones Collaborate with your team to define success metrics and use shared dashboards to track progress. This allows you to stay updated without manual reporting or extra meetings. 5. Empower Ownership Show your trust by encouraging problem-solving: “If you run into an issue, let me know your proposed solutions, and we’ll work through it together.” When the team owns their work, they’ll take greater pride in the results. 6. Leverage Technology Use tools like Asana, Jira, or Trello to centralize updates. Shared project platforms give you visibility while letting your team focus on execution. 7. Solicit Feedback Ask your team: “Am I giving you enough space, or would you prefer more or less input from me?” This not only fosters trust but also helps you refine your approach as a leader. Final Thought: Growing up playing sports, none of my coaches ever suited up and got in the game with the players on the field. As a leader, you should follow the same discipline. How do you stay informed without micromanaging? What would you add? #leadership #peoplemanagement #projectmanagement #leadershipdevelopment

For too long, we’ve thought of resilience as simply bouncing back from adversity. But in today’s leadership landscape, change isn’t episodic — it’s relentless. Resilience now means something deeper. It’s not just about weathering a storm; it’s about staying steady in the daily winds of complexity, pressure, and competing priorities. In my piece for Harvard Business Review, I share insights from a study of 167 leaders and 30+ years of walking alongside executives through transformative moments. What set the most resilient leaders apart? Deep self-knowledge. They: ✔️ Take honest stock of their strengths and limits ✔️ Catch irritability before it spills onto others ✔️ Push back on unrealistic expectations — even when it’s hard ✔️ Reconnect with what matters most when ambivalence creeps in If we want to lead others through change, we have to start by knowing the person doing the leading. Curious to hear: what has resilience looked like for you this year? Full article here: https://lnkd.in/gtUjtKC #leadership #resilience #selfawareness

In 2020, I told my entire legal team I was burned out and taking a sabbatical. This was a breaking point in 2020 when I found myself leading a new team during the pandemic, with zero capacity left. The word "burnout" had never applied to me. Until it did. What followed was one of the most transformative periods of my career. I took a three-month sabbatical, began my executive coaching journey, and completely reshaped how I led my team. GC Connected, a new global platform for General Counsel, published my article on building resilient legal teams. Here are 3 shifts that made the biggest difference: 𝟭. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 I was fully transparent with my team: • I told them I had burned out • I shared why I was taking time off • I asked for their help That vulnerability created trust. During my absence, team members grew in ways I hadn't imagined. They took ownership, deepened their confidence, and built a more resilient culture together. 𝟮. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 Before burning out, I assumed defining our culture was my job alone. After returning, I took a different approach. At our team retreat, I walked in with just questions: • What do we want others to say about us when we're not in the room? • What leadership principles are non-negotiable? • What does success look like? From that conversation, we built a shared mission that everyone believed in - and that alignment began to show up everywhere. 𝟯. 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 We reviewed every team process we had and asked: Are these helping us thrive - or just keeping us busy? The changes empowered team members to make decisions without constant top-down input. Meetings got sharper.  Roles became clearer.  Communication improved. So why does this matter now ? Legal departments today face unprecedented volatility: • Generative AI transforming how we work • Regulations evolving faster than ever • Stakeholders expecting more strategic advice But resilience isn't just about riding out these changes. It's about growing through them. And that growth starts with YOU. This is why I now help legal leaders navigate these transitions through executive coaching. My approach combines 18 years of legal experience with coaching frameworks specifically designed for high-stakes environments. 🔗 Read my full article that GC Connected published on what I learned about building resilience in legal teams. Link in comments.

The Hidden Cost of Poor Leadership (It's not just performance. It's mental health.) A global survey of 3,400 employees by the Workforce Institute at UKG found that 69% of people say their manager has more impact on their mental health than even doctors (51%) and therapists (41%). Because managers don’t just manage deliverables. They shape how safe, seen, and supported you feel at work. The wrong manager can create anxiety, doubt, and disconnection. The right one? Can unlock energy, creativity, and growth. Here are 5 subtle but powerful ways managers influence mental health - And what conscious leaders do differently: 1️⃣ Micro-control → Erodes trust Every task questioned, every decision second-guessed. It tells people: I don’t trust you. ✅ Do this instead: Shift from control to clarity. Give context, not just instructions - and space for autonomy. 2️⃣ Lack of feedback → Creates anxiety Silence doesn’t feel neutral. It feels like uncertainty. Unspoken feedback becomes internalized fear. ✅ Do this instead: Normalize feedback as care. Make it frequent, specific, and forward-looking. 3️⃣ Unclear expectations → Fuel confusion and self-doubt When goals shift without warning, or roles are blurry, people question their worth. ✅ Do this instead: Set clear priorities and revisit them regularly. Clarity = psychological safety. 4️⃣ No recognition → Kills motivation When effort goes unseen, people stop showing up fully. They start surviving instead of thriving. ✅ Do this instead: Celebrate wins - big and small. People don’t need trophies. They need to feel seen. 5️⃣ Emotional inconsistency → Creates instability Mood-based leadership keeps people on edge. They start managing you instead of their work. ✅ Do this instead: Regulate yourself before you lead others. Stability is a gift you give your team. ✨ Leadership isn’t just what you do. It’s how people feel around you. 👉 Lead like it affects their nervous system - because it does. What’s one leadership habit that makes you feel safe? 🔁 Repost if you believe leading well is part of caring well. ➕ Follow Bhavna Toor for more on conscious leadership.

Leadership Lessons from Africa: Building Business Resilience in Uncertain Times   As global markets navigate these periods of uncertainty, I find myself reflecting on my years leading businesses across Africa— where managing volatility isn't just a skill; it's about survival.   In 2024 in Nigeria, markets have seen the 5th benchmark interest rate hike to curb inflation; there have been 11 power grid collapses; the currency has lost 70% of its value against the dollar since May 2023. Within this environment, businesses adapt and innovate. Some even thrive.   Here are five lessons I learned:   1. Political Uncertainty: Success means playing the long game. In one role, I operated through three different administrations. Maintaining relationships across the political spectrum while upholding strong governance is crucial. Our government affairs strategy had to go beyond election cycles.   2. Policy Shifts: We developed operating models that could pivot quickly.  Import Tariffs would change without warning. We always had backup plans ready—whether carrying extra inventory or activating alternative business lines.   3. FX availability and price: Survival meant securing the cash first, then solving for profitability. We had multiple supply chains with different risk profiles and developed flexible pricing strategies that could adapt. Not without significant pain.   4. Infrastructure Gaps: At one company, poor power supply birthed a solar business. In another, we built roads to our factories (one across a swamp!). A gas availability problem created a thriving alternative fuels business: waste, rice husks, palm kernel shells to energy. This fed the factories and created employment for local communities. Infrastructure challenges forced innovation.   5. Market Constraints: As purchasing power drops, companies have responded with "sachet economics"—offering smaller pack sizes… (an environmental headache)….. to maintain affordability   We learned that resilience isn't about avoiding challenges; it's about building systems that can absorb shocks and adapt quickly.    Luckily, most global CEOs will not face these multiple onslaughts, but will be building resiliency strategies to navigate today's uncertainties.   What strategies have helped build resilience in your companies?   #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #GlobalBusiness #Resilience #Innovation #EmergingMarkets  

THE MANAGER CRISIS OF 2025: WHY LEADERS MUST ACT NOW After years of navigating hybrid work, layoffs, and increasing pressures, many managers are at their breaking point. The stress is relentless, and Gen Z is watching—choosing to opt out of leadership roles altogether. This creates a vicious cycle. As managers struggle, fewer employees aspire to leadership, increasing the burden on those who remain. UKG research shows middle managers experience 59% higher emotional demands than their teams, yet they are 12% less likely to receive support. Almost half of them say they’re likely to quit within a year. Without strong managers, employee engagement drops, burnout rises, and organizations risk collapse from within. Imagine a workplace where managers are supported, resilient, and equipped to lead. Where leadership is a desirable, fulfilling role rather than a burnout sentence. Organisations with strong management pipelines have higher retention, better performance, and healthier cultures. Employees who feel supported are twice as likely to work in sustainable environments and experience fewer conflicts. The Solution: To reverse this trend, leaders must take action: ✔ Assess and reduce workplace stressors – Identify the biggest risks to managers' well-being. ✔ Enact clear policies – Set boundaries on work hours, encourage time off, and promote mental health. ✔ Invest in resilience training – Equip managers with tools to navigate pressure and change effectively. ✔ Prepare Gen Z for leadership – Build their confidence in handling change, stress, and decision-making. How We Can Help: I specialize in building resilient leadership teams through keynote presentations and eLearning programs. We help managers embrace that selfcare isn’t selfish and learn skills to build teams that have each other’s back. Are your managers thriving—or just surviving? Let’s talk.  #Leadership #Resilience #FutureOfWork #GreatTeamsCare