Passing on a Legacy of Value

I’ve been blessed beyond measure by the mentors in my life who have made themselves available. Had each of them not been genuinely focused on seeing people’s worth, there’s no way I would have had so many of the opportunities I’ve experienced. Following those amazing examples, I’ve worked to pay it forward; investing in others’ growth and mentoring with an open door in every way I can. If that’s where the process ends, however, the generations that follow will suffer. Not because you or I dropped the ball on any given day, but because - just maybe - we weren’t intentional enough about detailing more than the idea that valued the people around us. Detailing why we’ve worked to overcome the constraints on our time so we could sustain a culture of value, and placing a high but sustainable expectation on those we mentor provides us with a chance of passing on a legacy of value.

I hope each of the ways I’ve grown stronger through great professional relationships detailed to this point have offered perspective for how much each of us can and should work to learn from the mentors in our lives. If you’ve taken action on just a few of the simple challenges I’ve presented you with, I’d bet you’ve already seen measurable results. In detailing each, though, I’ve referenced the importance of trust or legacy - and often both. Now, more than any other time in my leadership journey, I’m convinced that valuing others by being available is not just critical; it’s irreplaceable. 

We live in an age where we’re constantly hammered with information. John Maxwell opened his book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, by saying, “According to experts, we are bombarded with thirty-five thousand messages a day,” citing a 2008 Elway Research study. Nearly two decades later, that number certainly hasn’t dropped. Regardless of which side of the aisle you’re on, there’s no shortage of vitriol being spewed by the media and across your preferred social channels. And that doesn’t even account for the increasing threats so many of us hear about AI rendering our place in the workforce unnecessary.

Through all that, even with all those messages swirling around, so many people aren’t heard; they don’t feel valued because the people they count on for leadership are consumed by busyness and just aren’t available. If you’re like me and you’ve been blessed to leverage your own leadership growth through a strong professional relationship, someone has seen value in you and they’ve made themselves available. Now the responsibility falls on our shoulders - yours and mine - for passing on a legacy of value. It’s up to us to carry the torch, to be what our mentors have been for us. If you haven’t had the privilege of building relationships with mentors like I’ve detailed to this point, here’s your chance to be for those who follow you the kind of mentor you needed when you were where they are now. Before we tie this all together with a detailed framework for ongoing relational leadership, I’ll challenge you to mentor someone, and don’t stop at just one, on the importance of valuing others and being available.