When the CEO called, the General Counsel thought it was about a routine board update. Instead, the message was direct and daunting: “We need the legal team to lead our transformation effort. Reduce friction. Embrace technology. Reinventing the legal department is now your task. Show us what lean and agile looks like.”
For a moment, she froze. Her team was already working at capacity. Reinventing the legal department seemed nearly impossible with a flatlined budget. She had no formal background in operations, change management, or digital tools. The words echoed in her mind: Why me?
That question is not a weakness—it is a leadership signal. A pause before reinvention. It marks the beginning of a three-part evolution that many legal leaders must embrace. “Why me?” is the first step. “Try me” is the pivot. “Watch me” is the arrival. Understanding these phases, and how to move through them, can position you and your legal department to lead—not lag—the next chapter of your company’s growth through reinventing the legal department.
Phase One: Why Me? Turning Vulnerability into Vision
Legal leaders are often asked to do far more than their title suggests. They become risk navigators, culture carriers, data stewards, and even crisis responders. Yet, when transformation comes knocking, many hesitate. This hesitation does not stem from a lack of ambition, but rather from uncertainty about what leadership in reinvention truly looks like.
The “Why me?” moment is usually internal. It appears in subtle ways—second-guessing whether you have the right team, hesitating to challenge legacy processes, or avoiding tough budget conversations. Instead of dismissing the feeling, pause and examine it carefully as you embark on reinventing the legal department.
To begin with, reframe the narrative. You were asked to lead change not because you are the most technical or trend-savvy. You were asked because legal departments are uniquely positioned at the crossroads of ethics, strategy, and operational resilience. Reinventing the legal department means using your enterprise-wide view and risk expertise to connect dots others may miss.
For example, one of the most effective ways to lead in this phase is to listen. Schedule short listening tours across departments. Ask open questions: What’s working in our current legal model? Where are we slowing the business down? What should we stop or start doing?
This phase is not about having all the answers. Rather, it’s about building a credible foundation for change. Show humility. Document patterns. And most importantly, create space for ideas to surface before the blueprint is written.
Phase Two: Try Me. Building Momentum Through Small, Strategic Bets
Once you own the opportunity, it’s time to shift into experimentation. The “Try me” phase is where credibility is earned. This is not about delivering a five-year transformation plan. Instead, it’s about making small, intentional moves that show legal can lead with measurable business impact.
Choose a pilot project that has both visibility and urgency. Automating a high-volume agreement type is a common entry point. Introducing a matter management tool with better metrics is another. The key is to frame these projects as business solutions, not just legal ones. Meet with cross-functional peers, co-design the scope, and track metrics that matter to them—not just to legal.
For instance, one General Counsel of a mid-size pharmaceutical company launched a legal operations sprint modeled after Agile principles. They worked in three-week cycles, delivered tangible outcomes, and rotated team members to build new skills quickly. What started as a pilot for legal intake expanded into a broader conversation about data governance and workflow transparency, further supporting the goal of reinventing the legal department.
Meanwhile, as you build momentum, be vocal. Share updates with the business in plain language. Highlight cost savings, speed improvements, or risk mitigation in ways that mirror how the business speaks. This not only boosts confidence in legal’s ability to lead but also invites more collaboration.
Equally important is how you lead internally. Your team may have doubts—some may fear automation, while others may resist change they don’t fully understand. Bring them into the process early. Offer training, recognize effort publicly, and reinforce that reinvention is not a threat to identity but a platform for growth.
Phase Three: Watch Me. Leading with Visibility and Purpose
By the time you reach the “Watch me” stage, transformation is no longer a concept. It is a visible shift in how legal works, delivers, and influences. But this stage requires discipline. Without reinforcement, progress can revert.
This is the phase to make your metrics visible. Use dashboards. Track turnaround times, contract cycle reductions, and stakeholder satisfaction. Schedule briefings with executive leaders that connect legal’s progress to business performance.
But visibility is not only external. Internally, build storytelling muscle. Reinventing the legal department means training team members to present their wins in business terms. Help them articulate how they solved a friction point or improved a user experience. Transformation is not just top-down. It must be lived and shared across levels.
One GC we spoke to embedded storytelling in team meetings. Each month, a team member presented a transformation case study, from drafting efficiencies to policy modernization. Over time, this created a culture of ownership and pride. Legal stopped being the department that explained why things could not be done. It became the team that showed how they could.
To sustain momentum, rotate leadership of innovation initiatives. Create micro-mentoring programs with other departments. Partner with IT, HR, and finance to build reinvention muscle across the organization.
Sustaining the Shift: A Leadership Identity, Not a One-Time Initiative
Reinvention is not a project. It is a leadership identity. Moving from “Why me?” to “Watch me” is not about ego. It is about evolution. It requires curiosity, courage, and an ability to lead through ambiguity.
When legal leaders step into this mindset, they do more than change workflows. They redefine what legal can be. Reinventing the legal department allows them to expand their influence. They earn the right to shape the future of the business, not just protect it.
So when the next challenge lands on your desk, new regulations, another acquisition, or a call for transformation, ask yourself again: Why me?
And then answer with clarity: Try me.
Because someone is always watching. And you are ready.
