Today’s legal leaders face a big choice: step up and shape the future or risk getting left behind.
Janet Taylor-Hall, CEO at Cognia
At a recent Cognia roundtable in London, GCs, Heads of Legal and Compliance, and legal service innovators came together to talk about what leadership really means now and what’s coming next. They discussed how legal roles are changing and how it’s no longer enough to be a great technical expert. Now, legal leaders need to think big, lead with purpose, and build strong teams that can handle change.
The evening started with a moving story from Dan Kayne, a former General Counsel who now works to improve the legal industry. He shared how a surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital performed life-saving surgery on his newborn son. The surgeon explained everything with care and clarity. He combined top-level skill with deep empathy and that’s exactly the kind of leadership today’s legal teams need. It was a powerful reminder: just as healthcare has evolved with new technology and better methods, the legal world is also changing fast. Leaders need to find the right balance between embracing innovation and staying human.
Here are five key themes that came out of the discussion:
Leadership means vision, not just work
Being a legal leader today means more than doing the work. It means guiding your team, setting a direction, and thinking ahead.
“I have made a promise to myself not to do any work,” said one attendee. “I have a team to do the work, and my job is to lead.”
That mindset shift from manager to leader is becoming essential. Leaders need to build trust, grow their people, and focus on the big picture.
“You’ll be judged by the team you build,” said another. “Sometimes that means working yourself out of a job, but that’s exactly what great leadership looks like.”
Despite fewer layers, I find myself being involved in calls where far too many decisionmakers are present, and people aren’t yet quite sure how to make decisions,” said one.
Another added: “I spend 90% of my team one-toones listening and asking questions rather than focusing on work matters. They’re much more open about what they want to change, what they want to develop, where they want to go.”
Still, some leaders said their organisations were holding people back. “We spend a lot of money recruiting and paying high salaries, and yet we’ll give people jobs that perhaps don’t lend themselves to their best qualities or talents.” One agreed: “We hire some of the smartest people around, and then we flatten them with process and hierarchy.”
"I’ve made a promise to myself not to do any work... my job is to lead."
Technology is coming, ready or not!
Technology is already changing how legal work gets done. The big question is: are legal teams ready for it?
“Is the problem the system or the humans within the system?” asked one guest. AI can now pass bar exams and do complex work. But change often stalls because people are uncomfortable or uncertain.
“Leaders shape while victims grumble,” someone pointed out. Those who wait may fall behind. Those who act can stay ahead.
One challenge is how people still measure success. “There’s still an expectation that you have to be seen to be doing something,” said one participant. “But being busy isn’t the same as driving change. Do we want to make that change, or are we perpetuating the status quo? I think we are.”
Commercial pressure is also pushing change. “Follow the money,” said another guest. While legal teams defend traditional billing, clients, tech providers, and investors are demanding new ways of working.
"Is the problem the system or the people resisting the system?"
Humans skills still matter most
Even in a digital world, people skills are what really set leaders apart. As more routine legal work gets automated, strong relationships are becoming a key advantage.
“Most of my personal success and job satisfaction derives from my personal connections,” said one guest. They encouraged their teams to go beyond email: “Go down to the floor and sit down or have a coffee.”
“As leaders, ensuring we’re creating the space for people to have those human connections with stakeholders, with their team, is an essential part of the job,” said another.
These connections matter most when things go wrong. “If you don’t have those relationships, and you do have the crisis, the restructuring, or something along those lines, you’re going to struggle to perform that role,” said one legal head.
"If you don’t have strong relationships before a crisis, it’s too late to build them during one."
Data makes the case change
Legal leaders are starting to use data to back up their advice and prove their value. This is changing how they influence the business.
“One of the most powerful tools in change management for lawyers is data,” one participant said. “Because lawyers are intrinsically analytical, and if you can prove something, it changes the entire credibility of the whole conversation.”
One leader used data to flag risk in an area the legal team didn’t officially oversee. “Legal has no oversight over this whole section of lending we’re doing,” they told their CEO. The numbers helped make a strong case for change.
Moving from gut feel to hard evidence is a big shift but it’s one that’s helping legal teams become true business partners.
"One of the most powerful tools in change management for lawyers is data."
Collaboration the future
The most forward-looking legal leaders aren’t doing it all on their own. They’re working with a wider network such as law firms, tech providers, and alternative service providers to get better results.
There’s a huge opportunity to rethink legal services. And it’s attracting attention. “Big ech wasn’t interested in law three years ago; now it’s all over the legal market,” said one guest. “And secondly, private equity wasn’t interested in law. They’re all now looking at law firms, investing in alternative legal service providers and technology companies focused on the legal sector. Those two factors together could be massive drivers for change.” Legal functions that stay siloed may struggle. Those that collaborate will thrive.
"Private equity wasn't interested in law. They're all now looking at law firms, investing in alternative legal service providers and technology companies focused on the legal sector. Those two factors together could be massive drivers for change."
What legacy will you leave?
One attendee shared a simple but powerful quote: “Society grows when old people plant trees whose shade they will never sit in.”
For legal leaders today, the challenge is clear: Are you shaping change or waiting for it? Are you building something for the next generation or just getting by? The legal world is transforming fast. Those who lead with vision, who embrace tech, who build strong teams and strong networks those are the leaders who will define the future.
Five questions to ask yourself
- Beyond technical skill, how are you preparing your team for the future?
- Will your successor inherit an agile, forward-thinking team or one stuck in the past?
- How much of your time and budget supports change, not just operations?
- Are you using technology and new providers to evolve your service? Are you actively shaping the future or just watching it happen?
If you found this interesting and would like to find out how we can collaborate with you, contact us here
