Legacy Leadership with Bruce Williamson

Boldness is the second characteristic of legacy leaders.  It's not exclusive to executives or certain boxes in the org chart, but it's available to all of us.  What dream do you have that's too big to fit in your head, but can only fit in your heart?  At the intersection of a big ambition and significant constraint lies the opportunity to propel an organization, a team, an apprentice forward.  The choice is yours - to lean in or hold back, to start the great unfinished work of your profession, your team, your organization or wait for someone else to raise their hand.  Something always hangs in the balance. 

We will explore the three remaining characteristics of Boldness.  

Boldness is the second characteristic of legacy leaders.  It's not exclusive to executives or certain boxes in the org chart, but it's available to all of us.  What dream do you have that's too big to fit in your head, but can only fit in your heart?  At the intersection of a big ambition and significant constraint lies the opportunity to propel an organization, a team, an apprentice forward.  The choice is yours - to lean in or hold back, to start the great unfinished work of your profession, your team, your organization or wait for someone else to raise their hand.  Something always hangs in the balance.

Your Comeback Story symbolizes courage and determination amid adversity; they make us stand up and cheer; they move us, motivate us, embolden us.  We’ve all been a little lost, a little disoriented, wandering around figuratively.   That’s why comeback stories are so powerful because they are so relatable.  We’ve all wanted a shot at redemption, a chance to prove ourselves, an opportunity to proven them wrong, a turn at seeing what we are made of.  We’ve all had a starting point that made us feel a little small, a little inferior, a little unprepared.  It’s not those tense, trying circumstances that define us, but what we make of the circumstances.  Everyone loves a comeback story because we are wired for hope, and comeback stories at their core embody hope.  

Your Who Am I stories allow people to connect with you not only as a leader, but also as a person.  They express your authenticity and vulnerability.  They establish trust and express your values, your vision, your convictions.  These stories can accelerate months, maybe years, of time getting to know others by illuminating thin slices of your character, your non-negotiables, your expectations, your principles in very real and human ways.  People need to decide about you for themselves — not through accolades from your bio or impressive results listed on your CV, but with a story.  These stories can marginalize hearsay and rumors, dispel facades and falsehoods, and bring the real you, in your words, from the depths of your reality.  You need to win the hearts of your teammates; you need to gain their trust.  This story says you are human, that you are relatable, that you are part of “us.” 

Your people may not understand where you are going, but they have to believe in you.  They may not understand the changes you are recommending, but they need to trust you.  People may make false impressions, snap judgements, stereotypes, wrong assumptions until they walk a while in your shoes.  Let your stories reveal the real you, the vulnerable you, the person behind the title.  

A leader’s job is to motivate people, and we motivate people by engaging their hearts.  The key to their hearts is story.  Every team, every organization, every employee deserves a leader who can grow them through stories.  While a leader can’t predict every occasion or orchestrate every set of circumstances, there are essential stories that every leader will need on their legacy journey.  As a legacy leader you need to be prepared with a story: not one that is perfectly delivered nor one just casually pulled out of your pocket, but instead one that is thoughtfully and carefully contemplated; one that can be called upon at a moment’s notice. 

In those moments when the circumstances are calling you to inspire rather than simply communicate, consider what your team needs from you.  A presentation just won’t do when you are facing a crisis of confidence.  A deck just won’t do when you step into a new role. With keen instincts, legacy leaders see the potential for certain moments to be epic.  They see the potential signature story in the moment — the turnaround, the comeback, the never-again story that must-be written.  They even create the conditions for new stories to be written by asking what story do I want to tell?  What stories do you want to be passed on to those around you, behind you, in front of you - not about you like gossip, but from you.

We all leave something behind to our people, our teams. and co-workers - positive, negative or empty. Pre-decide your legacy or it will be decided for you.  We will all work for and alongside dozens of good-enough bosses and co-workers. But legacy leaders shape us differently; they leave a lasting imprint on the people they work with and the projects they touch.  In this episode you'll be introduced to the keys of legacy leadership and why it's so meaningful to you and the people you work with.  

Apprenticing stretches others by intentionally and inconveniently shaping them to be better.  Who is better because of you; not what...who?