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 Yesterday, as you will all know, Steve Jobs died. On the Apple website it says we have "lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being". What a sad day, but what a great legacy.
After four or more years in many organisations of crisis management, fire fighting and cautious decision making, I wonder how many managers and directors are currently seen to be visionary, creative and amazing in their own organisations. To leave a legacy for when you leave an organisation, I think you need to be one of those people who has learnt how to create time and space around you, even when times are really tough, to enable you to lift your head up and see the world, see the opportunities. Too many of us spend each and every day just doing the job, heads down, managing the detail.
I have heard over the years, managers saying that it is not their role to seek to leave a legacy, to be visionary or creative. That is the role of the CEO or board of directors. Is this right? Only this week the Pride of Britain Awards have been on. I didn’t watch, but no doubt it was an evening full of people in Britain who have put their head above their parapet, gone above and beyond what might be expected of them, seen and striven for the vision. So if the ordinary folk of Great Britain can be outstanding, then so too can any manager or director within a business – if that’s what they choose to do!
If you are planning on staying in your job for the next 4 years (or 14 or 40), can you categorically state today how you want to be remembered after you have gone? What values people will remember you having… what work ethic staff will remember…… what changes or innovations staff and clients know you brought in that made an impact….what you stood for and most importantly, why the business is poorer for your going.
Steve Jobs did a pretty good job on creating a legacy that I am sure any person would be immensely proud of, but what are you doing this year to ensure you leave, in your organisation, a legacy to be really proud of too?
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