The Art of Getting Stuff Done: People, Roles, and Mindset in LegalTech Adoption

At LegalTechTalk 2025, Andrea Miskolczi joined Lance Bartholomeusz (General Counsel, UNHCR) and Katja Nikolaus (CBDO, June) for a fireside chat on a deceptively simple question: what really drives technology adoption in legal teams?

The conversation, titled “The Art of Getting Stuff Done: Practical Advice for Powering Forward”, cut through the noise of hype cycles and tool comparisons. Instead, it zoomed in on the human factors that make the difference between yet another failed tech rollout and meaningful transformation.

Why Most Tech Projects Fail

Research suggests that up to 70% of projects, including technology implementations, fail to deliver on their promises. In law firms and in-house teams, the percentage may be even higher. The panel agreed that the root cause is rarely the technology itself. More often, it is people: how they are engaged, how they are led, and how their concerns are addressed.

“Start with people, not tools,” as one of Andrea's fellow panelists put it. That means thinking about adoption from the very first moment a new technology is scouted, not treating it as an afterthought.

Three Roles That Make or Break Change

The panel mapped out three critical roles that enable successful adoption:

The Leader: sets the tone and signals genuine commitment. Tech adoption cannot be delegated to a project team while leadership remains aloof. As Andrea stressed, a leader who is visibly engaged and excited about the potential is one of the strongest predictors of success. Absence of that interest is a red flag for future failure.

The Guide: brings credibility and experience. Just as you wouldn’t hike a glacier without a guide, you shouldn’t embark on AI adoption without someone who has gone further on the journey. 

The Champions: create momentum within teams. Champions are generous, curious and tech-savvy individuals who can demonstrate practical wins and spread good news stories. But crucially, they need time and backing.

The Mindset That Sustains Progress

Roles alone are not enough. The panel highlighted the mindset that allows teams to embrace technology constructively:

Curiosity: asking “why not automate?” or “how could AI help?” instead of defaulting to old routines.

Vulnerability: admitting that you don’t know all the answers, and being willing to learn from younger colleagues or tech specialists.

Passion: seeing technology not as an obligation but as an opportunity to deliver more value to clients and the organisation.

One example shared was telling. A junior lawyer suggested that an eight-hour piece of grunt work could have been done in two with technology. Rather than welcoming the idea, the supervising partner dismissed it. This mindset - equating inefficiency with learning - risks alienating the very talent firms need to retain.

The teams that will flourish, Andrea argued, are those that break down hierarchies and value every voice, regardless of age, title, or background.

Practical Advice: Focus Forward

The closing advice from the session was strikingly consistent: stop waiting for perfect conditions. Start small, empower your people, and build momentum step by step. Change doesn’t happen because of a single tool, but because people at all levels believe they are part of the journey.

Why This Matters for Legal Leaders

For legal organisations, the lesson is clear. Digital transformation is not about finding the best AI tool. It is about building a structure of leadership, guidance, and championing around a shared mindset.