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13
IT’S BEEN A TOUGH ROAD TO THE TOP, BUT YOU’VE MADE IT. WHAT
HAPPENS IF THE VIEW ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH? FORMER EDITOR OF
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
KAREN DILLON
CONSIDERS HOW THOSE WHO
HAVE ACHIEVED THE ROLE OF GC CAN KEEP THE JOURNEY GOING.
BUSINESS
THINKING
HOW TO BE
‘CHIEF EXECUTIVE’
OF YOUR OWN CAREER
F
or decades, Alex had aspired to the role
of general counsel. He spent the majority
of his career in the legal department
of a Fortune 100 company, working hard to
distinguish himself not only with legal acumen,
but with management and leadership skills as
well. But when he finally got the nod to assume
the top legal position, there was, he confesses
now, a bit of a letdown. After chasing that job
and that title for nearly three decades – and
finally getting it - Alex found himself wrestling
with an unsettling sense of disappointment.
Getting the general counsel title is still one of
the most sought after ‘destinations’ for the legal
profession, according to Spencer Stuart legal
headhunter Catherine Nathan. ‘I get several
emails a day from law firm partners at major
firms wanting to move in-house to a GC role.’
But it can be emotionally complicated when you