“A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession.” The accurate measure of your legacy lies in how well you influence the people you leave behind. Your aim should always be to leave an intentional impact on future generations of leaders at your company.
Maxwell said Just about anybody can make an organization look good for a moment —by launching a flashy new program or product, drawing crowds to a big event, or slashing the budget to boost the bottom line. But leaders who leave a legacy take a different approach.
They lead with tomorrow as well as today in mind. They plan to keep leading as long as they are effective, yet they prepare their successor anyway. They always look out for the best interests of the organization and its stockholders.
The natural progression of leadership, according to Maxwell, is:
- Achievement comes when you do great things by yourself
- Success comes when you empower your employees to do great things for you
- Significance comes from developing leaders to do great things with you
- Legacy comes when you put leaders in a position to do great things without you
I look back at specific periods of my life and think of what I have left, and for the most part, I am proud of the legacy I have left behind me. There have been multiple successes for companies I worked with, training systems and programs where there were none, and for developing people to be the best they can be.
For more than 20 years, what I have actively wanted and strived to leave, is a path of people who have been successful due to the activities, interest or programs that I have been involved in.
A couple of years ago I was running an Operations Conference for a company I worked for. One of the Regional Leaders came up to me, with 9 other leaders of the company. They wanted to toast me because they were all people who were in a High Potential Leadership Class I ran a couple years earlier. They thanked me for putting the time and effort into making them better, as each of them were promoted into higher positions.
That is just one legacy I am proud of and appreciate that I was able to play a part in their success.
I pray I am fortunate and skilled enough to continue to help others be successful.
Prime Leadership & Development 