Maxwell’s Law of Legacy

7 minute read

During my home leave over the past month, I have experienced the deaths of two people and have reflected on the legacy they left behind: an ex-boss who became a personal friend, and a queen of 70 years.  After examining their lives, I will leave you with insight and questions you may ask yourself about the legacy you are establishing as you journey through your life of relationships. Let’s restate Dr. John Maxwell’s law of legacy here:

 

THE LAW OF LEGACY

A Leader’s Lasting Value is Measured by Succession

On August 24th, Dick Lucier passed away. He was the global director of Xerox Learning Systems (then AchieveGlobal) who opened the door for me to become an entrepreneur of a global training company. In the 1990’s he awarded me the training franchises for Indonesia and then India. Dick’s leadership has left a lasting legacy in my life as he “lifted my lid” from being a trainer to become a global leader of corporate training. He planted the seeds of my calling or mission in life to equip and inspire young people to be impactful leaders. Dick planted many similar “entrepreneurial seeds” that helped many nations and corporates train and develop leaders. It has been estimated that well over 3 million leaders have been trained under his tenure across 80 nations. For this, I recognize his legacy as being a multiplier of leaders who multiply global leaders! What impact! Dick was always a man of wisdom and integrity who sought to balance the needs of the franchisees with those of the principal, AchieveGlobal. This always practical approach accelerated leadership training across the globe. After retiring, he found a second calling as a director of the Outward-Bound Charity.

You may not be an Anglophile or monarchist, but we all have been impacted in some way by Queen Elizabeth in our lives. She was crowned in 1952, the year I was born and she is the only queen I have respected in my life. Could it be my Scottish ancestry? Observing Queen Elizabeth in her life, I have learned three leadership principles.

Even with all the pomp and power of her reign, she usually wise enough to listen to advice from others throughout her life and did not let her “position power” get in the way of seeking advice. Two notable advisor mentors were Winston Churchill & Harold Wilson. Margaret Thatcher, though sometimes competitive with the Queen was also respected.

Queen Elizabeth lived her calling in life with resilience to her death. The word retirement was not in her vocabulary. As Julie Lokun states " The lesson learned is that while we, as entrepreneurs, are faced with incredible highs and lows, we must maintain an equilibrium. We must understand the prioritization of duties and carry them out to our fullest capacity. Riding the wave of the unknown and having the tenacity to maintain the clarity of mission (or calling) is essential for long-term growth and success.”

The highs and lows of Queen Elizabeth’s reign tested and strengthened her ability to “fail forward.” The two examples that come to mind are the Aberfan Disaster and the death of Princess Diana. Research both on Wikipedia for more info. Elizabeth did not see the need to travel to Aberfan and we all know about the defensiveness of the royal family over Diana’s death. Elizabeth was able to “fail forward” and change her course of action to repair and overcome the damage done by earlier inaction from the throne. Proof of the pudding was the global outpouring of sadness and grief at her death and subsequent funeral.

Let’s now talk about you and your legacy…….

Dr. Tim Elmore has clearly taught me that you and I are writing our legacy every day. Legacy can have a positive eternal impact on others you have influenced or possibly leave negative consequences that damage others after you are long gone.

If you were to die today, what legacy would you leave behind? Who would be crying at your funeral, or, possibly saying “good riddance?”

I leave you with content from Dr. John Maxwell to help you reflect on the legacy you are writing daily.

Applying the Law of Legacy to Your Life – Questions from Dr. John Maxwell 

You and I will be judged by how well the people we invested in carried on after we are gone. A life isn’t significant except for its impact on other lives. In the end, we will be judged according to the Law of Legacy.

1. What do you want your legacy to be? If you are early in your leadership journey, I wouldn’t expect you to have the definitive answer to that question yet. However, I still think there is value in your considering what you want your life to stand for.

Take some time to consider the big picture concerning why you lead. This will not be a quick process. The idea of legacy is closely related to a person’s sense of purpose in life. Why are you here? What gifts and skills do you possess that relate to your highest potential as a human being? What unique opportunities do you possess based on your personal circumstances and what’s happening in the world around you? Who might you be able to impact and what might you be able to accomplish as a leader in your lifetime?

2. Based on your ideas you developed concerning the legacy you want to leave, what must you change in the way you conduct yourself so that you live that legacy? Write them out. Your list may include behavioral changes, character development, education, working methods, relationship-building style, and so on. Only by changing the way you live will you be able to create the legacy you want to leave.

3. In whom will you invest to carry on your legacy? Ideally, you should pick people with greater potential than your own who will be able to “stand on your shoulders” and do more than you did. Begin investing in them today: Your family and children, your grandchildren, your closest relationships, leader/managers and team members in your career, your neighborhood, in your place of worship, and in the volunteer work you participate in.

Thank you, Dr. Maxwell!

Take this weekend to seriously think about your life, your leadership, and your legacy. How do you want to be remembered? Someone who made a positive difference in others, or, a problem that has died and all are relieved? The choice is yours……

 

Used with permission from Mike Griffin

 

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