‘The leadership aspect of my role has definitely increased as the company has grown,’ notes Sabine Chalmers, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s chief legal and corporate affairs officer. Following AB InBev’s $104bn acquisition of SABMiller, this is putting it mildly. Mega-deals aside, the need for leadership skills has also come with the broadening of the legal function at large corporations. ‘When I first started I was just responsible for legal. Since then I have taken on corporate affairs, communications, regulation, sustainability and corporate and social responsibility. Handling all that puts a big focus on leadership.’
Early in her career, Chalmers was given an enduring piece of advice by a chief executive. ‘If you want to spot a leader look for three things: judgement, influence and drive.’ It is a benchmark she has continued to use in measuring both her own progress and the potential of her team to step into more senior roles. ‘As a GC you are expected to get the law right and advise appropriately, but the big differentiator is the judgement you apply to that. If you don’t have the influence or the drive to take your judgements through to conclusion there’s no point in having the job of general counsel.’
‘To spot a leader look for judgement, influence and drive.’
Those who best embody these qualities, says the US-based Chalmers, tend to be generalists. ‘The folks who rise to the top have a perspective on everything and are naturally curious. They are constantly aware of the bigger picture in terms of both the company and the world.’ Although AB InBev has a comprehensive internal management training programme at which Chalmers herself presents to various business functions, she says training alone cannot make a lawyer into a leader. ‘You either have it or you don’t. You can’t train someone to understand the impact of diversity or the brand choices of Millennials, it has to come from natural curiosity.’
For lawyers who want to develop their instincts for leadership, she counsels: ‘Put your hand up early in your career and say: “I am mobile.” I wouldn’t be in the job today if I hadn’t done that. Some of our most successful lawyers and leaders move out of legal altogether and go into investor relations, sales or M&A. When they move back into legal they are able to see the bigger picture and speak with much more credibility. Working in a different geography is also very helpful. It gives you that broader picture and puts advice into practice.’