The Question:<\/p>\n
“What do you want them to say about you at your funeral?”<\/p>\n
It was a pretty deep question for my uncle to ask when I was 14 years old but the lesson was clear: live your life the way you want to be remembered. As I grew older and entered professional work I realized how you lived your life was singular: while work\/life balance is important, you can only have one set of values and principles. The same values you choose to make important are reflected at home and in the workplace.<\/p>\n
Inspired by my uncle’s question, and armed with an innate curiosity I was drawn to pursue the study of what makes a great leader and in turn seek to discover what I can do to become a great leader.<\/p>\n
The answer:<\/p>\n
Many great leaders extol different values. The ones I believe are worth my attention excel in these values:
\nGratitude
\nEmpathy
\nTrust
\nHonesty
\nGenerosity
\nService<\/p>\n
The relentless pursuit of the study of leadership combined with a strong gifting in the ability to get people excited about the message I’m delivering often puts me at the intersection of vision and execution. I can lead and inspire a team by giving them hope and I can manage and get results from the same group by giving them help[1].<\/p>\n
Jules Glanzer suggests there are three types of legacy you can leave: the legacy you desire, the legacy attributed to you and the legacy attached to you[2]. His conclusion in his book, The Sound of Leadership<\/em>, is the legacy you try to leave is often not the one you hope for. Not that the legacy associated with you is bad; in Glanzer\u2019s case he reported the legacy attributed to him included records amount of donations given to the academic institution he was president of and a season of new buildings and programs.<\/p>\n He argues, however, legacy is something you have control over by the way you lead your life everyday including the decisions you make, actions you take and attitude you have[3]. Glanzer says having a clear vision of what you want your legacy to be is important even if it\u2019s not the actual legacy you are remembered for.[4]<\/p>\n Author Stephen Covey advocates this posture in his seminal work on what he calls \u201cuniversal truths\u201d in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People<\/em>[5]. The second habit is to \u201cbegin with the end in mind,\u201d which is about having a clear understanding of your long-term goals, values, and desired outcomes before you start any endeavor. It encourages individuals to define their personal mission statement, which serves as a guiding document for their life’s direction.<\/p>\n Jules Glanzer\u2019s insights in The Sound of Leadership<\/em> align with Stephen R. Covey\u2019s second habit. Glanzer emphasizes the importance of understanding the distinction between the legacy you desire, the legacy attributed to you and the legacy attached to you. This highlights that individuals have the power to shape their legacy through actions and alignment with their values.<\/p>\n Over the course of his career, Glanzer has been a pastor, dean of a Christian seminary and president of a Christian college so it should come as no surprise his work contains several scriptural references. In particular, when speaking about legacy, Glanzer references several passages where Jesus named and claimed what he wanted his legacy to be.<\/p>\n In Matthew 5:17, Jesus emphasizes that He came not to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them. This demonstrates a clear sense of purpose to a specific mission. In Mark 1:38, Jesus declares that He must go to other towns to preach because that is what He came for. Similarly, in John 5:43, He speaks of coming in His Father’s name, highlighting a defined purpose and identity.[6]<\/p>\n To start this post, I wrote a short story about a conversation between my uncle and myself that led me to research what makes a great leader and then outlines what I want my legacy to be. This isn\u2019t new copy – it\u2019s been in the about me section of my LinkedIn profile for the last five years as I seek to attract potential clients into a relationship with me.<\/p>\n Glazner presents a good model – one backed up by Jesus – for ensuring you leave a legacy you can be grateful for by being intentional about the actions and attitude you take. It may not be the legacy you set out to leave, but you\u2019ll at least have some influence over its narrative.<\/p>\n