Leaving a legacy Part 2

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

― Nelson Mandela

When we think of leaving a legacy, perhaps we think of the visible reminders of what we did or accomplished.  Perhaps we think of buildings which have our name inscribed on them or organisations that refer to us as the ‘founder’.  Yet, most of us will pass from this life with no building inscribed with our name or organisation we started.  In fact, we will pass away with little visible sign of our existence.  
 
I like to think of legacy as the imprint we leave in the hearts and lives of the people we have both worked with and led.  This is what Ruth talked about last month.  The size of that group of people is unimportant.  What is important is that they are better people and better leaders because of working with us.  
 
I like to do an exercise with groups who are starting out on their leadership journey asking them to identify a leader that has had a positive impact on them and then to identify the ‘why’.  I reckon that around 80% of the time, the ‘why’ relates to the person’s  character, attitude and approach, not their skills.  It is the warmth they communicated or as someone identified yesterday doing this, ‘the fact that they believed in me more than I believed in myself’.
 
The interesting thing is that character and attitude is developed much more during the hard times than when everything is going well.  I would suffice it to say that our legacy is actually related to how we deal with the challenging periods of time in our leadership journey.  When things were really difficult, did we stick to our values?  Did we remain honest when it was easier to spin things to our advantage?  Did we stay the course when the temptation was to give up?  When I have faced a challenging period in my leadership, I have often been aware that those on my team were watching me more closely than usual to see how I would behave!
 
I can’t think of a better example of how legacy was formed in the difficult times than Nelson Mandela.  His leadership legacy was shaped not by the violent response to injustice of his earlier years of resistance but by the 28 years incarcerated on Robin Island where he changed his approach and began negotiations with the South African government that eventually brought about the peaceful transition to free and fair elections.  
 
It’s good to remind ourselves that challenge, stress and discomfort in our leadership journey and how we respond in those times will have a big bearing on the legacy we will leave behind. 

Andy Matheson

Questions for reflection

1. When you think of a leader who has had a positive impact on you, can you identify why they have made an impact?

2.  Thinking back to a difficult time of your life, can you identify ways in which you grew in character and attitude? 

3. How can those hard times be part of the legacy you leave behind?