BLOG
Welcome to the GC Collective blog — a space created to go beyond trends and explore what it actually takes to lead a legal organization with strategic impact, resilience, and clarity.
GC Collective was founded by a former General Counsel who experienced firsthand how isolating and complex the role can be. This blog is an extension of that lived experience, shaped not only by one perspective, but by the collective insight of hundreds of GCs navigating similar challenges.
Here, we share practical, relevant insight for experienced in-house counsel on leading teams and leading the business, from productivity and team alignment best practices to influencing the executive team and board, and navigating high-stakes decision-making, all grounded in the realities of the GC role.
What most of us value is insight shaped by shared experience and perspective from people who see the world through a similar lens. This is a place to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and grow together as leaders.
10 Things Every Legal Leader Needs To Know
AI is already transforming legal work, forcing General Counsel and legal leaders to rethink how they lead, develop, and support their teams. In this article, Erin Wiley, General Counsel at Hiive, shares 10 practical insights on people management in the age of AI—from creating psychological safety and defining expectations to building intentional AI strategies that strengthen both legal teams and leadership.
If You Can’t Explain Legal Spend, You Can’t Defend It
Legal departments are under growing pressure to explain not just what was spent, but why outcomes unfolded the way they did. In this article, Stephanie Corey explores why traditional reporting is no longer sufficient, how AI and evolving billing models are changing expectations, and what General Counsel can do to make legal spend more transparent, defensible, and aligned with business priorities.
Why Small Legal Teams Will Win
The most effective legal teams are not necessarily the largest. In this article, Paula Pepin explores why intentionally designed legal functions are outperforming teams that have simply grown over time, and shares three foundational systems General Counsel can implement to improve clarity, prioritization, accountability, and operational effectiveness.
VISIONING
General Counsel are constantly responding to competing demands, leaving little time to reflect on their own priorities, goals, and direction. In this article, Paula Pepin explores why intentional visioning has become an essential leadership practice for GCs, why our members asked us to make this workshop an annual experience, and how creating space for reflection can lead to greater clarity, alignment, and intentional leadership.
NOW, NEXT, LATER
General Counsel operate in a constant state of competing demands, balancing legal risk, business priorities, team leadership, and strategic initiatives. In this article, Paula Pepin shares the simple productivity framework experienced GCs consistently return to: the Now / Next / Later method. Learn how this low-tech weekly reset helps legal leaders create clarity, improve prioritization, and lead with greater intention—and download the practical worksheet used by GCs to put it into practice.