Seasoned GC Kelly Young shares her big takeaway from the 7th October London workshop at Pinsent Masons, Building Cultures of Wellbeing: the power of iteration in leadership and her own approach of adopting a prototyping mindset with her teams.

In the first of a new "View from the Room" series, Ian Ilersic, General Counsel and Company Secretary at ThinCats, shares one big idea from the 7th October workshop on Building Cultures of Wellbeing: the importance of intellectual humility which helps build the foundations for psychological safety.

We’re delighted to announce that the General Counsel Wellbeing Network is launching a new chapter in the Middle East, in partnership with Pinsent Masons. “As a former GC, I know first-hand how valuable it is to have a trusted space to share, learn, and recharge. I only wish such a network had been available to me in my previous in-house role, which is why we’re so pleased to support GCWN in the Middle East,” said Marie Chowdhry, Dubai-based Partner at the Firm.

General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers today face relentless pressure. It can feel easier to borrow the language of others—or even lose your voice altogether, retreating inward when the pressure mounts. Yet clarity, connection, and resilience in leadership begin with that voice. The “vowels of leadership” offer a practical framework to rediscover it: five mindsets that help legal leaders move beyond survival mode, find the confidence to lead, and the openness to draw strength from their teams.

I believe it is so important to build strong and trusting relationships with business colleagues so that we are working together and the legal team is not siloed from the rest of the business. I am so proud when a team member is recognised by the business for their part in problem-solving an issue or getting through a tough project as part of a wider team. Less about business partnering and more about being part of the business!

How would you describe the work of a lawyer? Meticulous, ethical, analytical, adaptive, pragmatic? But ask a roomful of lawyers and another set of words might surface just as quickly: overworked, stretched, reactive, isolated. To unlock the strengths, and minimise the pressure points I want to propose borrowing a mindset from another discipline entirely: design.

“This partnership with Law.com International is a natural step for us. It gives GCWN an opportunity to contribute to important conversations on wellbeing and leadership in law while connecting with a wider community of senior legal professionals.”
— Steven MacGregor, Founder & CEO, GCWN

In a crisis, your demeanour sets the tone. The business does not want to see its GC flustered or reactive. Nor do third parties who you want to instil confidence in (lenders, regulators, M&A counterparties). I learnt this during Thomas Cook’s financial collapse. When the worst happens—and it did—it puts everything into perspective. You survive, and you grow, and staying calm makes everything easier to manage.