Encouragement Becomes Legacy
What would you like people to remember about you?
What if your greatest legacy is what you give others the courage to accomplish?
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of leading a large number of exceptional leaders, many of whom have gone on to lead significant organizations themselves.
While I was by no means responsible for their success, I am proud of the fact that so many have achieved great things in their careers. It has been especially rewarding when former team members have stayed in touch over the years. Some have reached out for advice, others to discuss a challenge they were facing, and some simply to say hello.
Those conversations have always meant a great deal to me.
I was blessed to work with talented people, but I was also fortunate to play a small role in helping them discover and develop their competence and confidence as leaders.
I achieved a moderate level of success during my corporate career, but that success pales in significance to the joy I get from seeing others I have worked with succeed.
The feeling is similar to watching your children graduate from high school or college and knowing that, in some small way, you helped them along the journey.
In the world of sports, people often talk about the coaching trees of great coaches.
Not because of the games they won.
Not because of the championships they collected.
But because of the coaches they developed who went on to develop other coaches.
Their influence continues long after they retire because the people they invested in continue investing in others.
Leadership works much the same way.
Our greatest legacy is rarely the title we held, the awards we received, or the goals we achieved.
Those accomplishments may be remembered for a season.
The people we help develop can impact generations.
Every leader has the opportunity to help others discover what they are capable of becoming.
We can help them gain the confidence to take the next step.
The courage to accept a challenge.
The resilience to persevere through adversity.
The belief that they are capable of more than they ever imagined.
That is what encouragement does.
It helps people see possibilities they may not yet see in themselves.
It gives them the courage to pursue those possibilities.
And sometimes, that changes the trajectory of a life.
As Encouragement Week comes to a close, I am reminded that leadership is not ultimately about what we accomplish ourselves.
It is about what we inspire others to accomplish.
It is about the leaders we develop.
The lives we impact.
The confidence we help build.
And the legacy we leave behind through others.
Who played a significant role in helping you become the person you are today?
How are you intentionally developing the people entrusted to your leadership?
What are you doing today that will become part of your leadership legacy tomorrow?
CHALLENGE
Take a few moments today to encourage someone who is striving to grow. Remind them of their strengths, their potential, and what they are capable of becoming. You may never fully know the impact of that conversation, but it could become part of a legacy that extends far beyond you own accomplishments.
