Let’s face it. It probably does. Control is an illusion. For in-house lawyers, the legal landscape has always been unpredictable. But today, that unpredictability feels more like a wildfire — spreading rapidly, jumping across boundaries, and consuming everything in its path.
Regulations are pulled, economic conditions change, and business expectations shift overnight. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Yet, here’s the truth: there is absolutely nothing in this environment we can control. The sooner we accept that, the better we can function in this ever-changing world.
Embrace Uncertainty
In-house lawyers learned to embrace uncertainty the hard way during the pandemic. The world seemed to change overnight forcing legal teams to interpret emergency regulations on remote work, draft workplace safety policies, and revise existing contracts to deal with supply chain disruptions. What was acceptable one day became noncompliant the next. Now, we must do it again. And again. And again.
The key is not to fight the chaos, but to learn how to move within it. When you embrace the reality that control is an illusion, you stop wasting time trying to manage the unmanageable. Instead, you focus on what really matters:
- Guiding leadership through legal uncertainty with strategic thinking, rather than reactive decisions.
- Focusing on adaptability rather than rigid compliance measures that may soon be outdated.
- Building resilience by anticipating change instead of fearing it.
Pause, Assess, And Act
When chaos erupts, the instinctive response is often emotional and reactive. That is the worst thing an in-house lawyer can do. Instead, take a breath. Observe. Listen. Trust — but verify.
During the pandemic, many companies rushed to implement emergency policies without fully considering long-term implications. Those who paused to assess the full legal landscape were able to:
- Gather critical information before making high-stakes decisions.
- Coordinate across departments to ensure alignment on legal, operational, and personnel considerations.
- Evaluate risk exposure rather than responding with short-term fixes.
- Communicate effectively so employees and leadership understood the reasoning behind decisions.
This isn’t about being passive. It’s about being intentional. The best in-house lawyers know when to act decisively and when to wait.
Strategy Over Panic
Helping your company build a strategy in an uncertain legal environment is one of the most valuable things you can do. That means:
- Assessing risks as they evolve, rather than reacting to headlines.
- Understanding regulatory shifts and their impact on business objectives.
- Communicating legal realities in a way that decision-makers understand.
- Providing stability when leadership is overwhelmed by uncertainty.
It also means making the tough calls when necessary. The decisions you help your company make will have consequences — some positive, some negative. That’s the reality of business.
During the pandemic, in-house counsel played a crucial role in:
- Balancing legal risk with business survival by guiding leadership on government relief programs, employee policies, and contractual obligations.
- Navigating liability concerns when reopening offices, ensuring compliance with evolving safety mandates.
- Mitigating workforce challenges by addressing furloughs, layoffs, and rehiring strategies in a legally sound way.
When those consequences reveal themselves, your role isn’t just to defend the decision but to help the company navigate the aftermath, whether that means mitigating risks or leveraging new opportunities.
The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
Instead of seeing uncertainty as a threat, think of it as an opportunity. Companies that were able to pivot quickly during the pandemic — whether by shifting business models, restructuring operations, or adapting to remote work — were the ones that emerged stronger. The same applies to legal teams. Those who embraced uncertainty became indispensable to their organizations. To cultivate this mindset:
- Adopt a growth perspective. View uncertainty as a challenge to navigate, not a crisis to survive.
- Stay informed, stay agile. Monitor regulatory trends and be ready to adjust as needed.
- Strengthen internal relationships. Work closely with leadership, finance, HR, and operations to anticipate challenges before they become legal problems.
Why You Matter Now More Than Ever
In moments of uncertainty, companies remember why they have in-house counsel. The ability to provide clarity in chaos, strategy in uncertainty, and solutions when no obvious answers exist is what sets great in-house lawyers apart. This is what we do every day. When the fire feels most out of control, the in-house lawyer role becomes even more essential.
So, if your professional life feels like a raging wildfire — let it burn. You don’t have to control it. You just have to find your way through it.
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).
The post Does Your Professional Life Feel Like A Raging Wildfire? appeared first on Above the Law.
Let’s face it. It probably does. Control is an illusion. For in-house lawyers, the legal landscape has always been unpredictable. But today, that unpredictability feels more like a wildfire — spreading rapidly, jumping across boundaries, and consuming everything in its path.
Regulations are pulled, economic conditions change, and business expectations shift overnight. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Yet, here’s the truth: there is absolutely nothing in this environment we can control. The sooner we accept that, the better we can function in this ever-changing world.
Embrace Uncertainty
In-house lawyers learned to embrace uncertainty the hard way during the pandemic. The world seemed to change overnight forcing legal teams to interpret emergency regulations on remote work, draft workplace safety policies, and revise existing contracts to deal with supply chain disruptions. What was acceptable one day became noncompliant the next. Now, we must do it again. And again. And again.
The key is not to fight the chaos, but to learn how to move within it. When you embrace the reality that control is an illusion, you stop wasting time trying to manage the unmanageable. Instead, you focus on what really matters:
- Guiding leadership through legal uncertainty with strategic thinking, rather than reactive decisions.
- Focusing on adaptability rather than rigid compliance measures that may soon be outdated.
- Building resilience by anticipating change instead of fearing it.
Pause, Assess, And Act
When chaos erupts, the instinctive response is often emotional and reactive. That is the worst thing an in-house lawyer can do. Instead, take a breath. Observe. Listen. Trust — but verify.
During the pandemic, many companies rushed to implement emergency policies without fully considering long-term implications. Those who paused to assess the full legal landscape were able to:
- Gather critical information before making high-stakes decisions.
- Coordinate across departments to ensure alignment on legal, operational, and personnel considerations.
- Evaluate risk exposure rather than responding with short-term fixes.
- Communicate effectively so employees and leadership understood the reasoning behind decisions.
This isn’t about being passive. It’s about being intentional. The best in-house lawyers know when to act decisively and when to wait.
Strategy Over Panic
Helping your company build a strategy in an uncertain legal environment is one of the most valuable things you can do. That means:
- Assessing risks as they evolve, rather than reacting to headlines.
- Understanding regulatory shifts and their impact on business objectives.
- Communicating legal realities in a way that decision-makers understand.
- Providing stability when leadership is overwhelmed by uncertainty.
It also means making the tough calls when necessary. The decisions you help your company make will have consequences — some positive, some negative. That’s the reality of business.
During the pandemic, in-house counsel played a crucial role in:
- Balancing legal risk with business survival by guiding leadership on government relief programs, employee policies, and contractual obligations.
- Navigating liability concerns when reopening offices, ensuring compliance with evolving safety mandates.
- Mitigating workforce challenges by addressing furloughs, layoffs, and rehiring strategies in a legally sound way.
When those consequences reveal themselves, your role isn’t just to defend the decision but to help the company navigate the aftermath, whether that means mitigating risks or leveraging new opportunities.
The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
Instead of seeing uncertainty as a threat, think of it as an opportunity. Companies that were able to pivot quickly during the pandemic — whether by shifting business models, restructuring operations, or adapting to remote work — were the ones that emerged stronger. The same applies to legal teams. Those who embraced uncertainty became indispensable to their organizations. To cultivate this mindset:
- Adopt a growth perspective. View uncertainty as a challenge to navigate, not a crisis to survive.
- Stay informed, stay agile. Monitor regulatory trends and be ready to adjust as needed.
- Strengthen internal relationships. Work closely with leadership, finance, HR, and operations to anticipate challenges before they become legal problems.
Why You Matter Now More Than Ever
In moments of uncertainty, companies remember why they have in-house counsel. The ability to provide clarity in chaos, strategy in uncertainty, and solutions when no obvious answers exist is what sets great in-house lawyers apart. This is what we do every day. When the fire feels most out of control, the in-house lawyer role becomes even more essential.
So, if your professional life feels like a raging wildfire — let it burn. You don’t have to control it. You just have to find your way through it.
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 [email protected] , connect with her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawyerlisalang/) or follow her on Twitter (@lang_lawyer).
