Military experience meets legal leadership

The importance of followership in others

In this episode, Nancy delves into how her childhood experiences and her tenure as a defense attorney in the military have molded her into an empathetic legal leader. She emphasizes the significance of followership at every career stage, the necessity for leaders to drive company culture, and the importance of developing skills that technology cannot replace.

You’ve got to meet people where they are. There's a reason behind people's conduct and the way that they sort of approach others. And I think for me, as a leader, it's something that I've tried to have as the table stakes and the foundation of how I attempt to build relationships with people on my team, people that I help support.

Transcript

Don Fancher: Welcome to Resilient. I'm Don Fancher, a principal in Deloitte’s Regulatory, Risk, and Forensic practice and leader of Deloitte’s Chief Legal Officer Program. I am also your host for the Resilient podcast Chief Legal Officer track.

When we think about leadership, we really also need to consider the followership of others. How can we communicate in a way that others understand the “why” behind the actions needed? And how can this knowledge enable you to become a strong advocate and a trusted leader?

In this episode, Nancy Berardinelli-Krantz, chief legal officer of W.W. Grainger, Inc., discusses her remarkable career journey. This journey began with her service in Iraq as a member of the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps before transitioning back into the corporate world, where ultimately she ascended to the role of chief legal officer. Nancy shares how her experience in the military has informed her leadership style, as well as her perspective on how leaders drive company culture.

Nancy Berardinelli-Krantz: You’ve got to meet people where they are. There's a there's a reason behind people's conduct and the way that they sort of approach others. And I think for me, as a leader, it's something that I've tried to have as the table stakes and the foundation of how I attempt to build relationships with people on my team, people that I help support.

Don Fancher: I hope you enjoyed this preview. For the full episode, go to your favorite podcast app and search Resilient. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Spotify, or wherever you go to get your podcasts. If you're curious about legal leadership and trends that are impacting today's in-house counsel, I encourage you to visit our Chief Legal Officer Program site on deloitte.com.

Until next time, remain resilient.

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