Perception, Empathy & AI: Carolyn Herzog on Leadership and Legal Innovation at Elastic

Lessons I Learned in Law

Season 8 of Lessons I Learned in Law continues in partnership with Wordsmith AI, the legal-AI platform built for in-house teams.

This week, Scott is joined by Carolyn Herzog, Chief Legal Officer and Board Secretary at Elastic, the Dutch-headquartered, NYSE-listed global search and AI company. With a career spanning senior legal roles at Symantec, Arm, and now Elastic, Carolyn has led through major transformations in cybersecurity, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence.

In this episode, Carolyn shares three lessons that have shaped her approach to leadership and modern legal practice. Her first, Perception is Reality, explores the importance of feedback and empathy—how understanding others’ viewpoints, not proving you’re right, is the key to influence. Her second lesson, Thriving in the Grey Zone, challenges the traditional black-and-white view of legal advice, focusing instead on partnership, pragmatism, and helping the business navigate complexity. And her third lesson, Make It Actionable, calls on in-house lawyers to move beyond advice into operational execution—turning words into outcomes.

Carolyn also discusses Elastic’s fully distributed work model, the rise of legal operations, and the responsible use of AI. She offers an optimistic take on how technology will reshape, not replace, the legal profession—urging lawyers to stay curious and proactive to future-proof their careers.

Guest Recommendations

🎧 Respect by Aretha Franklin – Her ultimate walk-on song and tribute to the Queen of Soul.
📚 Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell – Exploring how small shifts create transformative change.

About Heriot Brown:
Heriot Brown is a leading global recruitment business specialising in the in-house legal market. We help lawyers find fulfilment in their careers by matching them with exceptional in-house opportunities, while fostering a thriving community of legal professionals who share insights, experiences, and growth.

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