Laurie Robinson Haden | Winter 2026
Compliance may earn you a seat at the table—but it won’t earn you influence.
Many legal professionals do exceptional work yet struggle to shape decisions upstream. The reason is simple: influence is built not on rules, but on relevance.
To unlock influence, legal leaders must move from reactive advisors to strategic partners. That begins with understanding the business context before weighing in. Executives are not looking for exhaustive legal analysis; they want clarity, options, and judgment.
Influence grows when you:
- Anticipate issues before they escalate
- Frame legal risk in terms of business impact
- Offer solutions, not just constraints
- Understand financial and operational pressures
- Demonstrate commercial awareness
The most influential legal leaders are trusted because they balance caution with pragmatism. They know when to say “no,” when to say “not yet,” and when to help redesign the path forward.
Equally important, influence is built through relationships. Showing up consistently, communicating clearly, and understanding stakeholder priorities creates credibility long before a crisis arises.
Compliance keeps organizations out of trouble. Influence helps organizations move forward.
If you want to shape strategy rather than simply review it, start thinking beyond compliance—and start positioning yourself as a business leader who happens to be legally trained.