The Final Word For In-House Counsel In 2022

As we close the final chapter on 2022 and prepare to begin a new chapter in 2023, I want to leave you with this final note. You are not alone. While the path you choose in your career is yours alone, you don’t have to go it alone. It does not matter if you are new to your career or if you have practiced for 50 years. We all need a community that will support us, nurture us, and challenge us.

It took me more than a few years to land my first in-house position. While I know there were people who found their way faster to the role than I did, I also know others who took longer. One thing I can say with absolute certainty — I cannot imagine being where I am today if not for the support of the communities of which I have become a part.

What To Look For In A Community

Not every community you encounter will be right for you. The characteristics I looked for may help guide you in your own quest.

I wanted a community:

• That aligned with my values and beliefs.
• Where I was encouraged to speak up and make my opinions known without the fear of retribution.
• Where I was encouraged to speak my truth, but where I would have the opportunity also to hear the stories and the experiences of others.
• Where others showed up for me by taking a stance against negative comments and promoted positivity and authenticity.
• Where the empowered people there led by example and advocated for others.
• That supported mentorship and sponsorship.
• That supported others by showing appreciation, giving thanks, and offering and accepting compliments.

Often the best communities are not the ones that come ready-made. Rather, they are the ones that you build for yourself — one relationship at a time. Building a community, however, is more than just building a network. For me, networking was just the starting point. Networking is about making connections and establishing relationships; community building is about cultivating and nurturing relationships. Do both throughout your career.

Over the years, I have spent the time building a community of support, following these principles:

• I supported others during tough times.
• I put my time and energy into the relationships.
• I showed gratitude and did not take others for granted.
• I treated others the way they want to be treated.
• I did not take more than I could give.

More importantly, I believe I was able to build these communities because:

• I do not establish and build relationships only with people I believed could help me in some way. For me, building community was never about just advancing my career objectives. Building community was about surrounding myself with people who were full of promise, positivity, and potential.
• I connected with those who were interested in mutually supportive relationships. If I had been out for just me, I would not have connected with the people I did. I do not establish and build relationships with only people who looked like me. To grow into a leadership role, recognize the importance of finding common ground with people who are different. When you seek out only those people who look like you, you find yourself in a bubble devoid of wider perspectives, making assumptions and judgments about the world that will only prevent you from being a true leader.
• I established and built strong mentoring relationships both as a mentor and as a mentee. I have sought to mentor and to be mentored throughout my career. Build a community where you experience both. Be wary of mentoring programs where the approach is only one direction, with an individual or a committee matching mentors to mentees. The best relationships come from mentor/mentee relationships that grow organically. Open yourself up to those.

This past year, I leaned heavily on my community to help me evaluate where I was in my career, where I wanted to go in that career, as well as what I wanted outside of that career. As we close 2022, I now find myself in a new job in a new state with a whole new world of opportunities ahead of me.

Whatever your goal or objective, I cannot stress enough the importance of community. For me, building a strong community of support was critical for me, professionally and personally. As you head into the new year, remember this one thing. Anything is possible once you find your people.

Have a happy new year! See you on the other side.

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Lisa Lang is an in-house lawyer and thought leader who is passionate about all things in-house.  She has recently launched a website and blog Why This, Not That™ (www.lawyerlisalang.com) to serve as a resource for in-house lawyers.  You can e-mail her at lisa@lawyerlisalang.com , connect with her on LinkedIn  (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawyerlisalang/) or follow her on Twitter (@lang_lawyer).