Switching from a GC to a COO role may seem like a massive jump, but it isn't as outlandish as it sounds, especially in today's business ecosystem, where the lines between legal and business are gradually blurring.

In a study by the Corporate Counsel Business Journal (CCBJ), more than half (55%) of surveyed GCs say their roles have expanded beyond legal, requiring them to contribute more directly to efforts driving profitability and business outcomes.

A modern GC understands how their company runs its business, coordinates cross-functional collaborations, and manages risks in fast-paced environments.

As a GC, these qualities already make you a strong business executive.

So, if you’re considering transitioning from GC to COO and aren’t sure about your ability to fill the boots of a top-brass strategic leader, this guide will explain everything you need to know.

Understanding the role of the COO

A COO, short for Chief Operating Officer, is the leader of a company’s day-to-day operations and a member of the C-level executive board.

With a direct reporting line to the CEO, the COO is the strategic engine of the company's business activities. But while overseeing the company's day-to-day operations is core to the COO's responsibilities, it is only one part of the job.

In the modern business world, the COO’s job description is a mix of many things, and what you get depends on your industry, the company you work for, and its business needs.

So, alongside leading everyday business operations, you may:

• Oversee strategic expansion
• Lead employee empowerment
• Handle cost control
• Manage customer service operations, and much more.

Source:  Paul McConomy via LinkedIn

As CEOs increasingly become the public face of their organizations, dealing with external parties, it often falls to COOs to provide internal leadership, helping teams remain resilient and productive.

Thanks to their role in value creation and organizational stability, COOs are often leading contenders for the chief executive position. In 2024, 43% of CEOs in America’s top 500 organizations came from the COO position, more than any other internal role.

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Source:  Volatility Report 2024 America's Leading Companies

Moving from a legal to a strategic role

A GC’s role is no longer limited to legal advice. In the 2024 State of the Corporate Legal Department, 83% of surveyed GCs said they have a level of influence on their company’s board decisions. Clearly, GCs are increasingly getting involved in business decisions.

That said, transitioning into a fully strategic role from a traditionally legal function should not feel like sailing in uncharted territories because many of the skills you've acquired while serving as a GC are also necessary for strategic positions.

But this doesn't mean it'll be easy to settle into a new role as a strategic executive. You'll be taking on a broader range of responsibilities, collaborating with more teams, spending more time in board meetings, and essentially holding the company together from the inside.

This brings to mind the famous quote: "To whom much is given, much is expected."

Also read: 4 Strategies to demonstrate legal team value

What can hinder GCs from becoming strategic business leaders?

"If you're not business-first, you'll never see solid growth."

‍~ Mine Ekim Managing Director, Legal & Compliance, Golden Gate Global
From Big Law to Business Impact

Before you prove yourself a strong candidate for the COO position, you must demonstrate to stakeholders that you have the right skills and mindset.

However, certain behaviors can work against you in your quest to become a strategic business leader. These behaviors are typical of many traditional legal professionals and should be avoided by every forward-thinking GC.

#1 Excessive risk aversion

A GC who’s too averse to risk will not do well as a strategic business leader. Business requires taking calculated risks, especially with the fast-paced and increasingly competitive nature of the modern business environment.

Organizations are increasingly requiring GCs to step up, help them seize opportunities, and manage the risks that come along. Thus, if you don't have an appetite for calculated risks, you may be seen as a roadblock rather than a strategic partner.

“You need to look at the big picture. If a transaction can create meaningful value for the business financially and operationally, then you should take that information into account when looking at the legal risks involved. Your job is often explaining legal risk in a digestible way to ensure that the business is aware of what could happen and what the consequences of certain decisions may be. Your business teams may be ok with the risks and decide to move forward. Your job becomes mitigating the risk as best you can and not taking it personally if the business is okay moving forward even with the risks you’ve outlined.

‍~ Katayoon Tayebi, Associate General Counsel, FIGS
Accelerating Your Career as In-house Counsel

#2 Limited cross-functional collaboration

Collaborating with diverse teams across your company is key to learning the ropes of business operations and delivering solid impact as a GC. It offers not only an opportunity to build relationships but also an avenue to exert your influence on strategic decisions.

However, some GCs would rather stick to doing exactly what’s within the purview of the general counsel. This limits their work to legal advice, and stakeholders will never see them beyond that.

“Ultimately, if you detach yourself from the business and only engage to answer questions, you end up becoming an ‘ivory tower of no’, where you only stop deals from happening and don't understand the context around the advice you're giving.”

‍~ Doug Luftman, Chief Legal Officer, Trust & Will
The Key to Success as an In-House Legal Counsel & Leader

#3 Too much time spent on routine work

According to another report by Thomson Reuters, attorneys spend nearly 40% of their workday doing administrative tasks.

Best-in-class legal professionals understand the value of automation and how it allows them to meet the demands of modern business. For instance, automating routine tasks like contract drafting, review, and approval with a tool like SpotDraft allows them to close deals rapidly and afford more time to participate in strategic decision-making processes.

Spending so much time on mundane tasks takes away your bandwidth for more high-value contributions. You can’t be a strategic business leader if you spend most of your days neck-deep in routine work.

Also read: What is Contract Automation? Expert Tips & Insights

#4 Insufficient business exposure

“You want people to think of you not as a lawyer but as their business partner who happens to have legal expertise.”

~ Doug Luftman, Chief Legal Officer, Trust & Will
The Key to Success as an In-House Legal Counsel & Leader

GCs are typically well-rounded in everything legal. But without sufficient business exposure, it will be impossible to connect the dots and drive business outcomes.

A lack of business acumen will limit your ability to see the bigger picture, and more often than not, stakeholders might view your advice as overly conservative.

How to transition from GC to COO

Whether you're eyeing a COO role within your organization or considering a move to a different company in that capacity, a switch like this will not be a cakewalk.

Paul McConomy, who moved from being a GC in an established company to becoming a COO in a startup, described this transition as a “baptism of fire.”

Regardless, the core skills you’ve garnered during your time as a GC will be incredibly beneficial. Here are some practical tips you should keep in mind.

#1 Embody the mentality of a cross-functional leader

“I mentioned being able to act as a strategic adviser. But I think the other thing you have the opportunity to do, as a lead lawyer in a high growth company, which I did, is take on strategic projects for the company and really own them, which some GCs don’t do.”

~ Dan Wright, Chief Operating Officer, AppDynamics

You can’t fill a COO’s shoes if you like to work in isolation. A COO is a connector–a junction that unites all areas of business function, from finance and HR to IT and operations.

To successfully transition into this role, you must cultivate a mindset that values collaboration and communication. You must master how to motivate individuals into action and inspire diverse teams to work as one big unit.

Also read: Leading Beyond Legal with Genessa Stout, GC & COO, Tally

#2 Invest in relationships that support your mission

Without the right relationships, the road from GC to COO may be long and perilous. Invest time and resources into building solid connections. Find mentors, participate in networking events, and be active in peer forums.

Internally, you must have good relationships with board members, including the CEO. You can cultivate this by regularly providing value to strategic executives during meetings and demonstrating your willingness to learn from their experiences.

#3 Establish yourself as a “business-first” lawyer

As a GC, legal advice and risk mitigation may be your comfort zone. But to pull off the GC-COO career switch, you need to shift from a “legal-first” to a “business-first” view of things. So, instead of adding speed bumps, you should focus on delivering ideas that accelerate business goals.

This means expanding your tolerance for calculated risks. You must move from the standpoint of risk mitigation to mastering how to manage risks in volatile and fast-paced business environments. You must actively participate in business meetings and master creative ways to provide legal support at scale.

When you earn a reputation as a business-first lawyer, stakeholders recognize your capacity to succeed in a more consequential role, such as the COO.

#4 Broaden your proficiency across multiple functions

A COO’s role is anything but one-dimensional. It touches practically every area of the organization’s business operations. This means they’re well-versed in finance, project management, human resources, IT, and more.

Fortunately, you do not need to be an expert in any of these areas to become a COO. What you must do, however, is develop a curiosity for all areas of business activity. Make an effort to understand how different teams work and how you can leverage cross-functional collaborations to drive positive business outcomes.

#5 Sharpen existing soft skills, and develop new ones

As you prepare to transition from GC to COO, you’ll find that the soft skills you’ve mastered throughout your years as a legal counsel are also mission-critical to your success as a COO.

These include problem-solving, analytical skills, and attention to detail.

Identify soft skills you already have and take additional training to sharpen them if you need to. 

You should also consider investing in resources like coaching programs and workshops to master other “not so common” soft skills (such as strategic agility and ethical decision-making) relevant to your success as a COO.

Also read: Top Skills Every Legal Ops Professional Must Have

Bottom line

Taking on the role of a COO is a dream for many GCs, but it isn't a walk in the park. You'll face a giant mix of responsibilities and be humbled by new experiences.

Yet, it is an incredibly rewarding path where your everyday decisions can shape your company’s future.

At Counsel Corner, we have partnered with dozens of GCs and other leaders in the legal industry, drawing from their rich and unique experiences. Regardless of where you are in your journey, the stories and lessons from these leaders will help you navigate every stage with more clarity. 

Ready to get inspired? Click here to check out the Counsel Corner.

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