Building a Lasting Legacy Through Intentional Leadership

 

Summary

Building a legacy is not just about the reputation we hold today but about the impact we leave behind. It's a journey that requires intentionality and selflessness. Reflecting on my conversation with John Maxwell, I realized that legacy is not about the organizations we build but the people we invest in. John, at 77, continues to learn and grow, emphasizing that leaders should never consider themselves finished. His legacy is not an organization but the countless leaders he has influenced globally. This perspective challenges the notion of retirement as a finish line, urging us to continue investing in others even when we can afford to quit.

Legacy is distinct from reputation. While reputation is what people think of us now, legacy is what or who we leave behind. It's a relational wake that follows us, and ignoring it is selfish. Our children, for instance, are a significant part of our legacy. Sacrificing family for professional success is a poor trade-off because someone else will eventually fill our professional roles. True leadership legacy is about developing other leaders who can carry forward the values and principles we hold dear.

The sobering reality is that we are often remembered not for our finest hours but for our final hours. This underscores the importance of ending well, both morally and ethically. The unfortunate legacy of some leaders serves as a warning of what can happen when integrity is compromised. Therefore, it's crucial to focus on character and integrity, ensuring that our legacy is one of positive influence rather than a cautionary tale.

As leaders, we must ask ourselves what we hope our legacy will be. It's not about how we will be remembered but about the impact we leave behind. This requires facing our selfishness and self-centeredness, choosing to invest in others rather than clinging to personal success. When we can afford to quit, our best days are ahead because we can focus on what truly matters—spending more time with fewer people for greater impact.

Ultimately, legacy is about being a leader worth following. It's about treating people well and accomplishing great things without compromising integrity. It's about making deliberate choices to invest in the next generation of leaders, ensuring that our influence extends beyond our immediate reach.

Key Takeaways:

1. Legacy vs. Reputation: Legacy is not about current reputation but the lasting impact we leave behind. It's about who we invest in and the values we instill in others, transcending the organizations we build. [03:23]

2. Intentionality in Legacy: Ignoring legacy is selfish. We must be intentional about the relational wake we leave, focusing on the next generation, especially our children, as they are a significant part of our legacy. [04:02]

3. Ending Well: We are often remembered for our final hours rather than our finest. Maintaining integrity and character is crucial to ensure our legacy is one of positive influence rather than a cautionary tale. [07:16]

4. Investing in People: True leadership legacy is about developing other leaders. It's about making deliberate choices to invest in others, ensuring our influence extends beyond our immediate reach. [06:01]

5. A Leader Worth Following: Legacy involves being a leader worth following, treating people well, and accomplishing great things without compromising integrity. It's about making deliberate choices to invest in the next generation. [14:16]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:17] - Introduction to Leadership Legacy
- [00:34] - Reflections on John Maxwell's Insights
- [01:19] - The Concept of Finish Lines
- [02:00] - John's Approach to Challenging Conversations
- [02:30] - Initial Hesitations on Legacy
- [03:03] - Legacy vs. Reputation
- [04:02] - The Selfishness of Ignoring Legacy
- [04:41] - Children as a Legacy
- [05:22] - Sacrifices and Professional Success
- [06:01] - Leadership Legacy and People Investment
- [07:16] - The Importance of Ending Well
- [08:34] - The Significance of Legacy
- [09:20] - The Best Days Ahead
- [10:31] - The Multiplication of Giving Away
- [11:12] - North Star of Leadership
- [12:29] - Integrity and Accomplishments
- [14:16] - Being a Leader Worth Following
- [16:11] - Shifting Focus from Success to Impact
- [17:36] - Trusting Your Leadership Talent
- [19:53] - Proximity and Leadership Development
- [21:16] - Deliberate Legacy Planning
- [21:59] - Closing Remarks and Call to Action

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Building a Legacy

Bible Reading:
1. Proverbs 13:22 - "A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous."
2. 2 Timothy 2:2 - "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others."
3. Matthew 6:19-21 - "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Observation Questions:
1. How does the sermon distinguish between legacy and reputation? What are the key differences mentioned? [03:03]
2. What does Andy Stanley suggest is the selfish aspect of ignoring one's legacy? [04:02]
3. According to the sermon, why is it important to focus on ending well, both morally and ethically? [07:16]
4. How does John Maxwell's approach to leadership challenge the traditional notion of retirement? [00:56]

Interpretation Questions:
1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that legacy is more about people than organizations? How does this align with 2 Timothy 2:2? [06:01]
2. How does the concept of "ending well" relate to the biblical idea of storing up treasures in heaven as mentioned in Matthew 6:19-21? [07:16]
3. What does the sermon imply about the role of integrity in building a legacy? How might this be reflected in one's personal and professional life? [14:16]
4. How does the sermon encourage leaders to shift their focus from personal success to investing in others? How does this relate to Proverbs 13:22? [09:20]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current focus in life. Are you more concerned with your reputation or your legacy? What steps can you take to shift your focus towards building a lasting legacy? [03:23]
2. Consider the relationships in your life. How can you be more intentional about investing in the next generation, especially within your family or community? [04:02]
3. Think about a leader you admire. What aspects of their legacy do you wish to emulate, and how can you incorporate those qualities into your own life? [06:01]
4. Identify an area in your life where you might be compromising your integrity. What changes can you make to ensure you end well, both morally and ethically? [07:16]
5. How can you begin to view your professional role as an opportunity to develop other leaders? What practical steps can you take to mentor or support someone in your workplace? [09:20]
6. Reflect on a time when you prioritized personal success over relationships. What did you learn from that experience, and how can you apply those lessons to future decisions? [05:22]
7. What is one specific action you can take this week to be a leader worth following, as described in the sermon? How will you hold yourself accountable to this commitment? [14:16]

Devotional

Day 1: Legacy Beyond Reputation
Legacy is not about the reputation we hold today but the lasting impact we leave behind. It transcends the organizations we build and focuses on the people we invest in and the values we instill in others. While reputation is what people think of us now, legacy is the relational wake that follows us. It is crucial to understand that ignoring legacy is selfish, as it affects the next generation. Our children, for instance, are a significant part of our legacy, and sacrificing family for professional success is a poor trade-off. True leadership legacy is about developing other leaders who can carry forward the values and principles we hold dear. [03:23]

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." (Galatians 6:7-8, ESV)

Reflection: Who are the people in your life that you are intentionally investing in, and how can you ensure that your influence on them is positive and lasting?


Day 2: Intentionality in Building Legacy
Ignoring legacy is a selfish act, as it disregards the relational wake we leave behind. We must be intentional about the legacy we create, focusing on the next generation, especially our children, as they are a significant part of our legacy. Sacrificing family for professional success is a poor trade-off because someone else will eventually fill our professional roles. By investing in our children and the next generation, we ensure that our values and principles are carried forward. This intentionality requires us to make deliberate choices that prioritize relationships over personal success. [04:02]

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6, ESV)

Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to invest in the next generation, ensuring that your legacy is one of positive influence and intentionality?


Day 3: The Importance of Ending Well
We are often remembered not for our finest hours but for our final hours. This underscores the importance of ending well, both morally and ethically. The unfortunate legacy of some leaders serves as a warning of what can happen when integrity is compromised. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on character and integrity, ensuring that our legacy is one of positive influence rather than a cautionary tale. By maintaining integrity and character, we can ensure that our final hours reflect the values and principles we hold dear. [07:16]

"Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." (Ecclesiastes 7:8, ESV)

Reflection: How can you ensure that your daily actions align with the legacy you want to leave behind, particularly in your final hours?


Day 4: Investing in People
True leadership legacy is about developing other leaders. It involves making deliberate choices to invest in others, ensuring that our influence extends beyond our immediate reach. By focusing on people rather than personal success, we can create a legacy that is lasting and impactful. This requires us to face our selfishness and self-centeredness, choosing to invest in others rather than clinging to personal success. When we can afford to quit, our best days are ahead because we can focus on what truly matters—spending more time with fewer people for greater impact. [06:01]

"And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2, ESV)

Reflection: Who is one person you can intentionally invest in this week, and what specific actions will you take to develop them as a leader?


Day 5: A Leader Worth Following
Legacy involves being a leader worth following, treating people well, and accomplishing great things without compromising integrity. It is about making deliberate choices to invest in the next generation, ensuring that our influence extends beyond our immediate reach. By focusing on character and integrity, we can create a legacy that is lasting and impactful. This requires us to be intentional about the choices we make and the values we instill in others. Ultimately, legacy is about being a leader worth following, one who treats people well and accomplishes great things without compromising integrity. [14:16]

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12, ESV)

Reflection: What specific qualities do you need to cultivate in your life to become a leader worth following, and how can you begin to develop these qualities today?

Quotes


And his legacy won't be an organization that he's built and he's built several. It's just going to be his investment in leaders and people personally and globally. And so. I loved what he said at the end. My name is John and I'm your friend. He always says that. [00:01:48]

Legacy is what or who you leave behind. And it is actually, and again, I am so glad you forced me into this thinking about this because I just have had sort of a bad attitude about people want to have a legacy. We will all have a legacy. Definitely. And we should be intentional about it. [00:03:23]

There's something selfish actually about refusing to think about legacy because refusing to think about my impact or your impact or anybody's impact, refusing to think about our impact on the next generation, or even if it's our family is selfish. It's like, I don't need to worry about it. [00:03:47]

And I think every parent, regardless if you're in leadership or formal leadership, every parent needs to think about that. Our kids are a legacy, which means to sacrifice at home in order to do something professionally that somebody else is going to do is a terrible trade off. [00:05:14]

And when you end well, that's part of. Legacy. And you continue to have those relationships even though you don't want people to leave or they get better opportunities. That's leadership legacy. That's relational legacy. It goes back to what John said about our character and our integrity. [00:06:57]

And you hate to say that's their legacy, but their legacy is a warning to future leaders of what can happen. Well, nobody sets out to have my legacy is to be a warning of what can go wrong that's nobody shoots for that. Right? In fact, and the gentlemen and the three I'm thinking about were male again. [00:07:43]

It's what am I leaving behind? How have I made the world a better place, even if it's because of one individual I invested in, but how did I make the world? How did I leave the world a better place? That's the question. And that forces me to face my selfishness, my self-centeredness. [00:09:00]

And when you can financially afford to do that, you do that. But if you're not thinking legacy, you're just going to go play golf. Do whatever you're going to do. I don't. Play golf. I'm not going to play golf. You're just going to go, oh, I'm retired and I can go do whatever I want to do. [00:09:41]

And it's just not in terms of legacy. I would hope that I would be an example of somebody who accomplished some great things but didn't feel like I had to treat people poorly in order to quote, get things done. You do leave some things on the table. You do walk away from some opportunities. [00:14:12]

Am I willing to deal with less success, public success And more impact ultimately? Or am I just going to play a hundred percent to the success of the organization or my reputation or whatever it might be? And who cares how it affects other people? And nobody would say that. [00:16:29]

And you figure out how to invest in the people around you. And there's seasons. I've done that. Well, there's seasons. I got too busy. And Diane, my admin assistant, this is how she would say it. She would say, who are your leaders? Who are your people? Who's your group? Who are you investing? [00:19:25]

And I'm so grateful John was able or willing to give me time back when he first moved to Atlanta, he didn't know me. And I was in a restaurant. You know how I met John? I was in a restaurant. I've been listening to his tapes for years. Remember tapes? Yeah. I'm in a restaurant with Randy Pope. [00:20:32]

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Transcript
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