Name: Sharon Mwakugu
Position: Legal Manager
Company: Intex Construction
Sector: Private Sector
Worked in current position for 6 years 11 months
Years in-house: 8.5 years
An overview of my role is: As the Legal Manager, I am the company’s central advisor, providing effective counsel to the board, senior level management, and business units on all matters legal, compliance and risk, in order to safeguard the interests of the organisation.
The best thing about my current job is: The best thing about my current job is the fact that I get to be at the forefront of development projects that are making an impact in the country. I have thoroughly enjoyed being involved in novel infrastructure projects such as the Annuity Road project (a concession to design, finance, build, operate and maintain a 93 km road for 10 years) which is the first of its kind PPP (Public Private Partnership) project in the country. In addition, with regard to the generalist aspects of my role, I enjoy the fact that I am able to handle a variety of complex problems across the group of companies whose interests lie in the hospitality and healthcare sectors.
The most challenging thing about my current job is: The most challenging thing about my job is the slow pace of change. I think the metaphor “a ship turns around slowly” best describes the situation. Prior to my joining the organisation, there was no internal legal function. I therefore came in and have implemented systems, processes and policies as part of setting up the department and the process of adoption has been slower than I expected. In addition, as other in-house counsel can attest, the challenge of dealing with the perception that outside counsel “know more” has been more pronounced in my case, considering the fact that for well over 30 years the organisation relied on external counsel. Through the process, I remain focused on emphasising that the approach for in-house counsel is not the same as that for external counsel. In that, external counsel will usually be involved when there is an issue, but the benefit of in-house counsel is to be involved in the process to prevent issues from surfacing in the first place.
My most pivotal career move: My most pivotal career move was taking the risk to pursue a niche practice area I was interested in which is construction law. The risk has greatly paid off and has opened doors for professional development in terms of the courses I have been able to be attend as well as the work I am involved in.
Hardest lesson I have learned as a lawyer: Never to take your client’s story at face value. This is particularly tricky for in-house counsel because there is an expectation from the client that in-house counsel shall at all times side with/act according to the organisation’s narrative. In many instances, the brief will be given not from a factual point of view but rather from an emotional or reactive perspective. It is therefore the responsibility of in-house counsel to approach the issue afresh, putting any assumptions and knowledge of the actors and their emotions aside and rebuild the narrative based only on the facts and evidence.
What advice would you give your younger self? I would tell my younger self to trust in her vision, to take the risks early and not be afraid to fail. The dreaded outcome is hardly ever as bad as we imagined.
Who are the key influencers that have shaped you along the way? I credit one of my bosses early on in my career, who influenced not only my leadership style but my career trajectory. He modelled for me that true leadership requires vulnerability. He was not afraid to acknowledge when he didn’t know, which made him open to learning from anyone irrespective of rank. He also taught me freedom that comes with taking the necessary risks in your career no matter what it might look like to others. Another pivotal person who has shaped me, is a senior South African lawyer I worked with during a complex transaction. Her approach to any transaction was very inspiring. Despite the fact that she is undoubtedly an expert in her field, she did not approach transactions as if she knows everything. She took the time to understand the issues and this made her provide astute advice. I have learnt from this approach and I believe it has made me a better problem solver.
My favourite pro bono or volunteer activity is: I am passionate about the environment and women’s rights. I therefore give of my time and effort towards tree planting activities, clean-up activities and women’s prison visitations as well as fund raising for these causes.
The worst job I ever held was: One where the management was rude and abusive, neither showing regard towards the wellbeing of staff nor respect for their opinions. This was a tough environment but it gave me the courage and taught me how to have tough conversations with difficult people, which is a valuable skill to have when in leadership.
Most valuable life lesson that I still apply today is…Contrary to popular belief, hard work and grit alone are not always enough to get you ahead. It is equally important to have communication skills, learn how to build relationships and most importantly to cultivate emotional intelligence to be able to navigate the path to success. I have seen this several times in my career when negotiating high level contracts. Sometimes, the ability to read the room, understand what it is the other party is looking for and approach the conversation from their perspective, will get you much further much faster.
I achieve work-life balance by: I achieve “balance” by first of all acknowledging that there are, and will always be seasons with more work and others with less, it is part of the job. That said, I have found that the best approach is to understand that work and busyness are not the same. In this regard, I am fiercely protective of how I spend my time. I refuse to get caught up in the perception that a good worker is someone who works long hours all the time. Instead, I focus on achieving actual goals/outcomes rather than appearing busy. In addition, I empower my team to be able to work on their own, make some decisions and own their achievements and failures. By focusing on results, leading and trusting my team, I ensure that we are all responsible for managing our time and can therefore work flexibly without the need to police the number of hours worked or time spent in the office.
If I were not practicing law, I would probably be: a behavioural scientist, as I am fascinated by the human psyche.
I’m currently reading: Women who run with wolves by Dr. Clarisa Pinkola
My current music playlist includes: Maverick Music, Amanda Black, Sauti Sol, Labrinth