No Team, No Problem: Tools for Thinking Bigger as a Solo GC

If you’re the first or only General Counsel at your company, you already know what it’s like to be in the thick of it: reviewing NDAs between back-to-back meetings, jumping into urgent contract reviews, dealing with a compliance snag, and fielding “quick legal questions” that are never quick. You’re doing the work. All of it. But what about thinking like a GC, the kind who drives strategy, speaks the language of the boardroom, and helps shape the future of the company? 

We see this tension often in our Ready Set GC programs: brilliant, capable women who are absolutely up to the challenge but can’t quite find the oxygen to rise above the day-to-day demands.  Here are five practical strategies to help you move from doer to driver, even if you’re still flying solo. 

1. Redefine Your Role: Start Strategic Conversations with Your CEO 

   
   

In the GC role, your job isn’t just to manage legal risk, it should be to create business value. But if your CEO sees you primarily as a “legal technician,” it’s hard to shift that narrative. Depending on your CEO’s experience working with a GC, she may not know how you can add value unless it's demonstrated proactively.  

Schedule time to align your potential and future impact with that of the CEO and leadership team. Share your vision: legal as a strategic asset, not just a service function. Your CEO may not have worked with a GC before and may be unaware of how you can support business initiatives. Or she may have initially seen the role as a way to get day-to-day legal work done without paying outside counsel and now that you're up and running, you’re ready to offer so much more.  

Use your touchpoints with the CEO to do more than report status. Bring one or two strategic legal/business risks or opportunities to each meeting. Over time, this reinforces your role as a thought partner, not just an executor. 

2. Block Time and Treat It like a Non-negotiable Meeting with Your Future Self

Rest assured, you won’t find time as the work will always be there. You have to make it. Whether it’s an hour a week or a full morning every other Friday, treat strategic thinking as sacred time. Some GCs schedule a “thinking day” every 6–10 days. The key is consistency. Strategy doesn’t happen in the gaps — it happens because you made space.” 

If you are not sure where to start, ask yourself: what’s one big thing I’m not getting to in the swirl of daily work and what would it take to move it forward? Create an agenda and remember this is a meeting with yourself. You should have a focus. For example, is today about understanding the business better? Planning how to reposition legal as a strategic function? Mapping out a bold proposal for legal tech or additional support? Choose one theme and bring yourself a question or decision you want to move forward. Remember, this isn't time to catch up — it's time to zoom out. 

How you use your strategic time will depend on where you are in your GC journey. But, whatever your stage, that thinking time is an investment in your future — not a luxury 

New to the role? Use this time to learn the business, identify key stakeholders, and start drafting a future-state roadmap for what the legal function could be. 

Been in the role for a while? Use this time to ask: What’s working? What needs to shift? Brainstorm a few bold moves. Reach out to trusted peers or mentors for a gut check and help with a plan to pivot. 

3. Lead with Insight, Not Just Information 

One way to elevate your role, even without a big team or budget, is to become known as someone who connects legal context to business strategy. 

Start small. For example, share legal or regulatory developments that impact your industry with the leadership team. It’s not about flooding inboxes. It’s about showing that you’re thinking ahead and helping others do the same. 

You want to be viewed as someone who looks around corners, even if most of your time is spent doing day-to-day work. The more consistently you do this, the more your voice will be invited into conversations earlier, where strategy is being shaped, not just reviewed. 

Not sure where to begin? Scan the headlines each week for one development your CEO or product lead should know about and offer a quick take on why it matters. 

4. Work Smarter: Rethink How the Work Gets Done 

You may feel like you have to do everything yourself, either because that’s the expectation, or because you don’t have a robust outside counsel budget. But maybe you don’t. 

Do you have a go-to outside counsel? Use them strategically. Many firms now offer AI-enabled tools for contract review or policy generation. Don’t think of them only as service providers; they can be force multipliers. 

If you haven’t already, build a relationship with someone outside who invests in you as much as you invest in their firm. That relationship is critical to your success both in your current role and in the next one. To understand the how and why of using outside counsel, check out our recent blogs here and here.  

Legal tech can be another lever — and you often don’t need a large budget to use it well. Contract management platforms, clause libraries, matter management tools like Streamline AI, and AI platforms like Lexis+ AI or Practical Law can help you streamline repetitive tasks and support faster risk assessments. 

Using tools effectively also shows operational savvy to the C-suite. Do some research, get pricing, and schedule free demos. When you find what works, build a credible business case. Many of these tools cost far less than outside counsel or new headcount, and they can buy you back time — and credibility. 

5. Don’t Go It Alone: Tap Into Your GC Peer Network 

You are not alone. Say it again: “You are not alone.” Reach out to other first or solo GCs. Ask what they’re doing about the same issues. Learn what’s working (and what’s not). A quick check-in with a peer can save you hours and help build confidence and clarity. You should also reach out to GCs at other companies in your industry, form an informal network and meet occasionally. This is a great way to gut check with others to understand what issues they are dealing with. And if you’ve attended a Ready Set GC program, reach out to your cohort. That built-in network is there and ready when you are. 

Still feeling overwhelmed? Is your workload increasing, and what’s at risk if things fall through the cracks? That’s your signal to act — and to build a business case. 

Whether it’s a legal tech tool, increased outside counsel spend, a new headcount, or a short-term placement, now’s the time to get clear on what you need. One often overlooked option: a secondment. If you have a strong outside counsel relationship, ask whether someone from their team could embed with you for a period of time. It’s a great way to bring in expertise and continuity — and for the firm, it’s a chance to deepen their knowledge of your business. I see it as a win-win. 

Use your thinking time to assess your needs, identify the gaps, and map out solutions. Then partner with Finance and HR to shape the ask. Bring data, bring anecdotes, and bring a plan. They can be strong allies when it’s time to make the case to your CEO. 

Final Thoughts  

No team? No problem. What matters is how you think, how you lead, and what you choose to make space for. Start by giving yourself the permission and  protected space to think beyond the to-do list. That’s how leadership starts to look less like a someday goal, and more like how you’re showing up right now.  

So, carve out the time, claim the space, and take one small step this week that moves you closer to the GC you already are, just with more space to lead. 

Deborah Solmor

Founder, Ready Set GC

General Counsel, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)