"‘People don’t leave a company, they leave a boss."
"‘People will forget what you did, but they won’t forget how you made them feel.’"
They are both powerful and true statements. I want you to be the boss you wish you always had. Since LeaderX is aware of their own feelings and those of others, they aim to communicate even the hardest decision with kindness and empathy, and in doing so teach others to do the same.
"HOW YOU MAKE PEOPLE FEEL IS YOUR LEGACY, AND THE FIRST TIME YOU MAKE THEM FEEL THAT WAY, BOTH THE GOOD AND BAD, WILL BE ETCHED INTO THEIR MINDS FOREVER."
Lucy Barkas
Reflection
How do you want to be remembered?
A common coaching exercise is to imagine yourself on your 80th birthday. You look around and see who is with you. Each person takes to the stage and shares what you mean to them and how you have impacted their life.
I guess it’s similar to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in that is prompts you to decide who you choose to be. Get your journal out again and jot down your reflections to the following questions:
1. Who do you admire and why?
2. How do you want to be remembered?
3. What do your people really think about you?
4. If you could be famous for doing something of meaning, what would it be?
5. What are you doing now to be the boss you wish you always had?
These aren’t superficial questions. They are deep and thoughtful questions that you might need to revisit. Give yourself the gift of time and space to really reflect on who you want to be as a leader and the impact you want to have on others.
Your business legacy is your purpose, which you gained clarity on in MyPresent. I helped you to create a strategy and align all of your people, processes and goals to deliver it. Your business legacy is what exists long after you have gone. It is the impact it makes on society, culture, community and, ultimately, the world. It’s no surprise to me that LeaderX has their people and their corporate social responsibility firmly at the heart of their agenda. LeaderX take’s their legacy seriously, and are clear about how the world will be changed as a result of their tenure.
Legacy is not a new principle, but it’s one that is more important than ever in today’s socially connected world. Perhaps LeaderX was influenced by the great leaders from their youth, like Anita Roddick, who wanted to make the world a better place through The Body Shop, or Walt Disney, who aimed to provide hope, happiness and comfort to kids and families when they needed it most.
Perhaps they witnessed how money and greed have created the maladies of the world that made them rebel against it. Driven by purpose, LeaderX takes clear action in creating a sustainable business legacy.
You will now be walked through a few exercises and questions to help you form your sustainable goals. As an employer, you have a responsibility to the people who you serve, your employees, the suppliers who depend on you and your customers who depend on your service. You have an obligation to ensure that you are sustaining the business, protecting market share and creating profit.
Instead of asking, what will make me more successful, ask ‘How can I make things better around here?’
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