This book was born out of one simple question: What makes a person unforgettable? As management training and leadership professionals, as neighbors, parents, and friends, we spent five years talking one-on-one with hundreds of men and women. In conversations with leaders of companies included in Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For and in chance meetings on the corner, we asked, “Who left an indelible impression on you at work or in your personal life?” “Whose shoes would you walk in today if you could?” And most important, “Why?”
Our respondents were as varied as the walks of life you can imagine. The “why,” however, was remarkably consistent. The people they described all had one thing in common. They all had personal and compelling character.
Our journey began in finding out what these memorable people were doing to make their impact timeless. And here’s what we discovered. Regardless of their age, gender, or vocation, these people positively influenced change in the lives of those around them. They were engaged in a most unique and personal act of leadership.
What, then, is a leadership legacy? Your leadership legacy is the sum total of the difference you make in people’s lives, directly and indirectly, formally and informally. The way you behave in your day-to-day life defines your legacy. The challenge is how to live in a way that creates a legacy others want to be a part of, too.
A great legacy doesn’t just happen. Your legacy is built moment by moment, in small interactions. How you live your legacy can uplift people’s spirits and inspire them to live or perform better than they thought possible. Or it can drag them down and create the opposite effect.
You will learn along with Doug, the main character, to adopt specific behaviors to change your legacy into one you are proud to leave. Through the modeling of some surprising mentors, you will witness courageous leaders who Dare to Be a Person, Not a Position; Dare to Connect with People; and Dare to Drive the Dream.
You may never know the full impact of your willingness to dare, but someone, and quite possibly many someones, will! Learn about the difference you make in people’s lives. Dare to transform Your Leadership Legacy.
MARTA BROOKS
JULIE STARK
SARAH CAVERHILL
January 2004
