What Is Your Leader Legacy?

by Kathy Cooperman

As a leader, how would you like to be remembered? During a recent leadership workshop, participants recalled leaders who had:
• A strong positive impact on them … or

• A strong negative impact, based on their day-to-day leadership behaviors
In small groups, participants quickly recalled one type of leader or the other. Afterward, in one large group, they shared stories about the best and the worst leaders they’d worked with.

LEADERS: STRONG, POSITIVE IMPACT
• Gets to know people; shows interest in them
• Treats people fairly
• Gives employees chances to “shine”
• Treats mistakes as learning opportunities
• Asks for ideas/suggestions from employees
• Listens to ideas
• Shows interest in individual employees
• Communicates clear expectations
• Holds people accountable
• Offers timely and helpful feedback
• Makes people feel important
• Looks for ways to “serve” the team
• Shares lessons learned from own experience
• Shows appreciation for accomplishments

LEADERS: STRONG, NEGATIVE IMPACT
• Plays favorites
• Micromanages
• Has a “short fuse” (yelling, throwing things, finger-pointing, cursing, etc.)
• Publicly shames direct reports
• Takes credit for successes; blames others for problems
• Rarely has time for one-on-one meetings
• Engages in questionable behaviors (sexual abuse, racist language, offensive comments)
• Interrupts people
• Criticizes others’ ideas/suggestions
• Holds back important information
• Quick to punish; slow to reward
• Is moody
• Talks to employees like a parent to a child
• Refuses to delegate

Participants easily remember details of the leaders described (either positive role models or negative ones). When asked, “How long ago did you work for this leader?,” they often answer, “Twenty years ago.” Imagine the impact these leaders made — details recalled so many years later!
My next question is always, “What would your direct reports say if I asked them to describe you as a leader?” It’s easy to forget that every day we add to the legacy we’re building.

Questions to consider

1. How do you want to be remembered?
a. At your retirement or farewell party, what would you like people to say about you?

2. How much of your story have you shared?
a. How open are you with your team members?
b. To what extent have you shared your values, your vision, your beliefs?
c. How much do people know about you and your successes and failures?
d. How much does your team trust you?

3. Are you a servant leader?
a. How do you share your time and attention with your direct reports?
b. Do your employees know you care about them?
c. How do you demonstrate that you support their growth and development?
d. How helpful are you when employees need your advice, guidance and attention?
e. How are you teaching your employees to be confident, outstanding performers?
f. How compassionate are you when employees are going through adversity?
What is your legacy?

Maya Angelou left great counsel to all of us as we consider how we want to be remembered: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Kathy Cooperman, an executive coach and leadership expert, is the president and founder of KC Leadership Consulting LLC. For more information, contact her at kathy@kathycooperman.com, www.kathycooperman.com or 720.542.3324.