General counsel are risking role overload as they take on more responsibilities. According to Pearson GC Bjarne Tellmann, the professional convergence revolution could mean that the enhanced GC position is, in reality, too demanding. In his newly published book, he says that GCs are taking on the expanded role because "companies increasingly recognise that good ideas are generated when people with different skills interact with each other in a connected manner. That reality increases demand for ‘T-shaped’ executives, who combine deep cognitive, analytical, or technical skills with broad multidisciplinary and social ones. Given their deep legal expertise and role as connectors, GCs are natural-born T-shaped professionals."

The reality

Mr Tellmann says that there is a risk of role overload "because the many new responsibilities that the GC’s job entails are in reality too demanding for any one individual to successfully carry out. Yet you can’t really break the role up into smaller ones."  In his  “how to” guide, Mr Tellmann draws upon more than 20 years of leading top legal organisations across Europe, Asia and the United States to provide a structured plan for upgrading legal teams in an age of disruption. The book  'Building an Outstanding Legal Team - Battle-Tested Strategies from a General Counsel' can be obtained from Globe Law and Business.