Gabrielle Chanel read for inspiration, until she became an inspiration herself.

Research from the MIT Leadership Centre shows that the most innovative and successful leaders spend about 30 per cent of their work day actively exploring new ideas.

It’s what I call looking outside to grow within.

In 2021, I’ve set a intention to learn something new daily – something outside of the law – whether that’s via the newish and semi-exclusive invite only Clubhouse app^, or through reading or tuning into a podcast.

To that end, I’m sending out my top finds every fortnight to my Stay In the Know subscribers, so if you’re interested you can sign up here.

Recently I attended a LinkedIn online event (who else is digging these?) hosted by the ASIA CEO Community called “So… What’s next?” CIOs Outlook for Tech 2021.

Aside from the fact that the panelists were all men (from Huawei, HSBC, Alibaba, United Asia Finance), it was an insightful session where each CIO openly shared their thoughts and predictions for 2021.

What was interesting is the interplay between IT and Legal in respect of what they identified as hot topics for the year ahead, being:

• Application of quantum computing
• 5G
• Data science
• Data transparency
• Data security, data strategy, data governance
• Hybrid workforce & IT governance
• The IT function being a business owner vs a support function.

As I write in my first e-Book, Legally Innovative, IT is a necessary companion to any transformation journey.

Think of IT as the butter to your bread. Or, Legal’s bae*.

Regular catch ups and interactions with IT colleagues could lead to being granted access to “spare budget”, existing software licences as well as being able to tap into the latest tech innovation the IT team is exploring. In some businesses, you may be able to build something from scratch using internal resources (although depending on the task, I’d discourage this especially if you’re a lawyer who is a tech novice).

Legal has a lot to learn from IT – a department which is far more agile in terms of project management and maximising their service delivery to a client. And a lot like Legal, tends to be involved in solving a myriad of business problems.

So, let this post serve as a reminder, if it’s not already part of your standard operating procedure, to prioritise building and maintaining your relationship with IT.

^ The Clubhouse app is about connecting people via audio. It’s a bit like dropping into the live recording of a podcast, where you can listen or join the conversation. Available on iPhone only.

* bae is not a real word but means a close friend.

Image by @therubycanvas

PS. I invite you to join the @legallyinnovative tribe on Instagram, and to check out my products on annalozynski.com each designed to support your innovation journey and help you stay future focused.