I used to lead the “textbook” way…the polished corporate version of myself who thought every answer had to be airtight and every email had to sound like it was blessed by a panel of retired judges. Life humbled me. Hard. Now I lead with a mix of precision and humanity. I don’t pretend complexity doesn’t exist. I don’t pretend to be invincible. I don’t pretend every deadline is reasonable just because it’s written in a slide deck. My team sees a leader who sets boundaries, names reality, and expects others to operate like adults. The shift is simple: I stopped performing leadership and started practicing it.

In the first episode of GCWN Studio, “On Sustainable Performance and the Changing Culture of Law”, Steven MacGregor sits down with Andrew Masraf, Global Senior Partner at Pinsent Masons, for a candid and wide-ranging discussion on the future of legal leadership. This conversation explores what sustainable performance looks like in modern law—from culture change and the billable hour, through to wellbeing, human connection, vulnerability, and the evolving value of legal expertise in an AI-accelerated profession.

Sarah Gray, a Strategic Group GC & Company Secretary, most recently at Post Office Ltd shares her principal takeaways from the Hacking Habits workshop on 6th November around system design and her own recent changes around nightly gratitude.

When you go in-house you become part of a multi disciplinary team—all charged with running a business—so your role is not to explain the ‘why not’, it’s coming up with the what, the how, the options, the risk assessment or trade-offs, and then—and this is critical—communicating clearly and concisely. I always keep in mind the brilliant quote, “I would have written a shorter letter, but did not have the time”.

The clocks have changed, and light is at a premium. Global Director of Legal at Ricardo, Kate Tyers, reflects on some of her main circadian rhythm and sleep takeaways from our Summer sessions; 'A Day in the Life' workshop at Pinsents London on June 9th, which was followed by our dedicated sleep webinar on June 27th, 'Becoming a World-Class Sleeper.'

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.