Dr. No #45 – What Happens When You Stop Caring About Credit

Hey lawyer,

Here’s a nasty little paradox:

The fastest way to build power in your organisation…
is to give it away.

This week’s Dr. No is all about invisible influence — and the surprising force that builds authority faster than legal memos or job titles.

Spoiler: it’s not being right. It’s being generous with credit.

1. Food for Thought

What problem could your team solve this quarter
if nobody cared who got the credit?

And a tougher one:
What credit have you been secretly chasing… that’s holding your team back?

2. Book Insight – Winning, by Jack Welch (with Suzy Welch)
Former GE CEO. Legendary operator. Ruthless with mediocrity. Generous with praise.

Here are 3 killer takeaways for GCs:

1. Candor Is a Competitive Advantage

Welch says: most teams don’t lack intelligence — they lack honesty.
Your legal team isn’t a monastery. Say the hard things. Fast.

GC Takeaway: Skip the "maybe’s" and "we’ll circle back." Create a culture where people know where they stand — and can grow from it.

2. Winning Teams Know What Winning Looks Like

Welch: "If you don’t define what winning is, don’t be surprised if your team loses."

GC Takeaway: Set crystal-clear goals: shorten contract negotiation term by 15 days. Cut outside counsel spend 30%. Make Legal indispensable — and measurable.

3. Leaders Get Paid to Energize

Your job isn’t to write every contract or get everything right. It’s to build a team that runs at your level.

GC Takeaway: Reward initiative. Delegate visibly. Celebrate the small wins. Your team will run through walls for you.

3. Mental Model – Reputation Gravity

An original from the Dr. No Lab.

Your influence doesn’t come from job title.
It comes from what people expect when you enter the room.

Do they lean in… or brace for bureaucracy?

Your “reputation gravity” is the pull your name has in a room before you speak.
It’s shaped by hundreds of micro-moves:

• How you respond under pressure

• Whether you solve or stall

• If your input clarifies or complicates

GCs who build real gravity are the ones who ask better questions — not just give better answers.

4. AI Tool – EvenUp.ai

Litigation gets messy. Discovery gets uglier.

EvenUp just rolled out new legal AI workflows that take the drudge work out of demand letters, legal docs, and even injury summaries.

Think of it as your paralegal’s paralegal — but with speed and context.

If you're in a high-volume, document-heavy area, this one's a no-brainer.

5. Quote to Reflect

“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
— Harry S. Truman

P.S.
Strategic GCs know when to step in — and when to hand the pen to someone else.

That’s why the sharpest in-house teams use Ambar:

• For niche work where you need deep expertise, fast

• For delicate situations like internal investigations or board tension

• For fresh energy when the team’s tired or politically entangled

• For project-based work where externality = clarity

No politics. No fluff. Just legal excellence when it matters most.

Let’s talk. You lead. We plug in the talent.

Until next week,
Dr. No