Law #21 of John Maxwell's The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is:
The Law of Legacy: A Leader’s Lasting Value Is Measured By Succession
Maxwell asks, “What do you want people to say at your funeral?” You can wander through life and let things just happen. Then, they will say whatever they will, based on that. Or, YOU can write that sentence. He notes Clare Booth Luce’s “life sentence,” which is a statement that summarizes your goal and purpose in life. What is yours?
Developing Your Leadership Legacy
- Know the legacy you want to leave.
“Most people just accept their lives- they don’t lead them.” Be proactive about how you live.
- Live the legacy you want to leave.
“To have credibility as a leader, you must live what you say you believe.”
- Choose who will carry your legacy.
“Legacy lives on in people, not things...Too often leaders put their energy into organizations, buildings, systems and other lifeless objesct. But only people live on after we are gone.”
Natural progression to how leaders develop in this area:
· Achievement comes when they do big things by themselves.
· Success comes when they empower followers to do big things for them.
· Significance comes when they develop leaders to do great things with them.
· Legacy comes when they put leaders in position to do great things without them.
- Make sure you pass the baton.
“We have made at least a start in discovering the meaning in human life when we plant shade trees under which we know full well we will never sit.” –Elton Trueblood
Applying the Law of Legacy to Your Life
1. What do you want your legacy to be? Depending on where you are in your leadership process, you may or may not know the answer. If you do not know yet, start thinking about it. Consider why you lead. “The idea of legacy is closely related to a person’s sense of purpose in life.” Why are you here? What are your skills? What unique opportunities and experiences do you bring? How can you impact others? Assessing this is not a quick process.
2. Considering the ideas you came up with above, what must change in your life, how you live it, how you conduct yourself to achieve that legacy? Write those changes out? [They may include behavioral changes, character development, education, working methods, relationship building, etc.] Only by changing the way you live will you be able to leave the legacy you want to leave.
3. In whom will you invest to carry out your legacy? Ideally, pick people with greater potential than your own whop will be able to stand on your shoulders and do more than you did. Start investing in them today.
Reference:
Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Chapter 21- The Law of Legacy. Thomas Nelson,
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