Stable legal departments in companies, particularly those that flourish, similar to Microsoft’s, attribute their success to persistent succession planning. This is despite a growing trend amongst companies to fill their general counsel positions by hiring candidates from outside the organization.
This practice of continuous succession planning, it seems, is considered vital by both in-house leaders and recruiters. John Gilmore, managing partner of the recruiting firm BarkerGilmore, emphasizes the importance of maintaining this mindset. He advises General Counsels (GCs) to entertain the hypothetical scenario of being abruptly replaced, and to consistently consider the potential state of their organization should key legal personnel leave.
Microsoft’s Chief Legal Officer, Hossein Nowbar, is an ardent practitioner of this approach. He states, “For every one of my leads, I have a succession plan,” and urges his leads to identify potential replacements for their roles. As a result, Microsoft’s legal department thrives due to the assurance of continuity, regardless of personnel changes.
To delve deeper into the role and importance of succession planning in prosperous legal departments, you might consider reading the original article.