What makes a great leader?
“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
What words come to mind when you look at these two leaders? What characteristics do they have that make them stand out to you as a great leader? What kind of legacy do you think they have built or will leave behind?
Is it Nelson Mandela’s strength and courage in the battle against apartheid? Is it Jacinda Ardern’s brave and visionary leadership through the pandemic?
Let’s consider some other people who are considered great leaders. Sir Clive Woodward’s drive and leadership achieved repeated sporting success for England Rugby Union. Then there’s Sir Winston Churchill who lead his country through times of great adversity. And what about Michelle Obama and her one-woman mission to empower women and girls the world over.
The common thread? Great leaders make their mark and leave an unforgettable, undeniable legacy.
What’s your leadership legacy?
Time to look at yourself. What’s your perspective of your own leadership? Have you asked for any feedback to find out what others think of you?
‘Begin with the end in mind’ is Stephen Covey’s second habit from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If you lead a team, this is perhaps something you should think about.
Every day is a gift of a fresh new opportunity to influence your own legacy and build your reputation as a leader. A chance to create the lasting memory that people have of you, and you of yourself.
Here are a couple of tasks to help you consider the legacy you want to leave behind.
1. How will you make your mark in life, personally and professionally, at the:
End of the day
End of the week
When you leave this job
When you leave this organisation
When you leave employment
When you retire
When you die?
2. What do you want to be renowned for? Below are some examples but you can, of course, choose your own!
Aggressive
Considerate
Arrogant
Authentic
Kind
Effective
Efficient
Thoughtful
Balanced
Fair
Honest
Determined
3. What do you want other people to say about you after you’ve gone?
The clearer you are with your answers to these questions, the more likely you are to achieve the legacy you aspire to. The key is to be clear on the legacy you want to leave and also have the self-discipline to be true to this. You might have some bad days and that’s fine. We’re only human! The important thing is how you recover from setbacks.
Every day is an opportunity to build your legacy
Each day is a chance to take steps to become an even better version of yourself. To do this, you need to lead by example. If you want to be renowned for fairness, demonstrate give and take with your team every day. If you want to be known for your determination, apply your tenacity to the projects you lead. Leading your team in the style you want to be remembered for will align other people’s perspectives with your own intentions.
Behaviours that can help in building a legacy
I am not a fan of leaders who claim they can operate effectively on a few hours of sleep or rarely take time off for holidays. I believe that to be a great leader and perform at your best you need to find balance in life. In particular, you have to take care of your health as your number priority. This includes drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep, allowing yourself time to stop and think, plan and prepare, and keeping a calm head. This works for me and it can work for you too.
A final word...
If you need a place to start with creating your legacy, try these three simple steps:
Create clear direction for yourself so you know what a great legacy would look and feel like
Enjoy making a difference to your reputation and creating a feel good factor for yourself - every day
Notice the positive impact this has on others and note it down so you can revisit it when times are tough.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog and want to take time to focus on your skills as a leader, consider our Exceptional Leadership Makes Sense development programme. It’s divided into six modules, one of which covers leadership legacy. We dig deeper into the traits, skills and behaviours of great leaders and establish realistic steps to achieving your goals.
Now is as good a time as any to make the most of your life and start building your leadership legacy. What are you waiting for?