Understanding your Leadership Legacy- 4 things to consider

What do I mean by a Leadership Legacy?

Remember when you were reporting to someone early on in your career, or right now, and you started to tell stories about that leader to other people? Or, you start to use them as a symbol of good or bad habits?  OK,  hold that thought or memory  ....

Now have a look around your team or organisation.  Those people are now using you to generate their stories or reference points. So, what story are you going to let them write about you? When they go home and talk about work, and in turn you, what do they say?

Being a leadership reference point for others, or leaving a leadership legacy, means being a role model and source of inspiration for others within a team or organisation. It involves embodying the qualities and behaviours of an effective leader, and consistently setting a positive example for others to follow. Being able to be someone who others look up to and seek guidance from in times of uncertainty or challenge.

In this short blog, we will explore four important things to remember when aspiring to leave a positive leadership leagacy for others. By focusing on these key aspects, individuals can develop their leadership skills and make a significant impact on their teams and organisations.

Why is it important to remember this?

Recently I have come across a few leaders who have forgotten that they are writing their leadership legacy with those below them. I asked them to reflect on all the poor managers or leaders they have worked for. I then asked them a follow up question - do you think they intentionally set out to be that bad? They often reply saying "no way!"  No one  sets out to be someone's bad leadership reference point, it just happens. So, how are you going to ensure you don't end up being a poor leadership story that is told through those below you? 

Here are our top 4 things that can contribute to a positive leadership legacy:

1. Establish goals and expectations

It is crucial to establish clear goals and expectations for your team members. This provides them with a sense of direction and purpose, enabling them to align their efforts towards achieving the desired outcomes. Clear goals also help in prioritising tasks and resource allocation, ensuring that everyone is working towards a common objective. When team members understand what is expected of them, they can focus their energies on the tasks that matter the most, resulting in increased productivity and efficiency.

2. Communicate the plan and communicate it again .... and again

Not many people, if any, are willingly giving their best to the team or organisation without a clear plan. I don’t think I have met one person who likes being a mushroom. Kept in the dark and fed an unpleasant diet ...

Consistently communicating your vision is crucial. Strong communication skills play a vital role in conveying ideas, creating a sense of community, and engaging employees. When leaders effectively communicate their vision, they provide a clear direction for their teams to follow, aligning goals and fostering a unified focus.

In my experience, great leaders also can clearly connect a tangible 'end-state' across the team. Habit #2 from Steven Covey's book ' 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' is 'begin with the end in mind'. By being able to enthusiastically connect this across their team, leaders can create a sense of alignment and buy-in about the future.

3. People will respect the hard decisions

Often leaders can get caught out thinking they have to be popular. It’s a  hard trap to pull out of and to navigate effectively. Successful leaders recognise this and will ensure they are clear on the leadership roles that fall to them. Often one of these roles is having to make the hard right decisions or the easy wrong ones. 

Great leaders make the tough call when the tough call needs to be made. And it’s not always going to be just about people challenges. If your team is waiting on you to decide, be decisive. It’s really frustrating when you’re a high performer, and your work has stopped because you need your leader to decide, and they haven’t yet or are unwilling to discuss their decision-making process. 

4. Celebrate wins & recognise exceptional work

We all know being an effective leader is a bit more than just providing guidance and direction. It also involves celebrating achievements and recognising the efforts of your team members. Here are four important things leaders should be aware of:

a) Motivation and inspiration: Acknowledging and appreciating the accomplishments and hard work of your team members can be a powerful motivator. 

b) Fostering a positive work environment: Celebrating achievements not only boosts individual morale but also creates a positive work environment. Recognising effort demonstrates that the contribution of each team member is essential to the team's success. 

c) Public recognition: Publicly recognising achievements can have a significant impact on employee motivation (even when at times they will say they don’t like it ...). When leaders publicly acknowledge and celebrate individual and team accomplishments, it not only boosts the confidence and morale of those being recognised but also inspires others to work hard and achieve similar success.

d) Sincere words of appreciation: Taking the time to communicate specific aspects of a team member's work that were particularly outstanding demonstrates that their efforts have been seen and acknowledged

How are you going to intentionally develop your leadership brand and legacy?

This article was contributed by Luke Johnson, Strategic Advsior