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.

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!

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.