Making Our Shoulders Strong

For many years, leaders were preoccupied with the idea of legacy. This was the era when we were all incredibly optimistic about the changes we were creating. Well-led organizations offered direct evidence of positive changes that resulted from working with the new paradigm of living systems. It was natural for leaders to want the value they had created to continue into the future beyond their individual tenure. These days, I don’t hear legacy talked about nearly as much—conversations tend to focus on just keeping things afloat, surviving the present craziness with one’s integrity still recognizable.

Legacy is an important thing to reflect on at the end of a long and fruitful career. What had been built was of real value; it needs to be sustained independent of a change in leadership. A body of work that has been carefully crafted deserves to endure beyond the life of the creator. Having persevered to the end, the leader, artist, parent, citizen should be remembered for their contribution. And their work should live on, supporting those who pick up the torch and continue the work.

Over many years, I watched as the work of fine corporate and political leaders—work based on ethical, humane values, that had led to extraordinary results and very grateful staff—I saw this good work vanish. Nearly overnight. “The King is dead. Long live the King!” In corporations, time after time I saw that new leaders behaved like male lions who move in on a new pride and kill all the cubs of the prior lion-lord. I soon realized that this is how it usually is: raw ego power destroys what has been so lovingly crafted by wise leaders. Leaving a legacy in an organization always runs the risk of being destroyed by needs for power that supersede any interest in sanity.

Yet there is a great need to leave a legacy, because we have been blessed to walk in the footsteps and stand on the shoulders of those who went before us. We do not spring fresh upon the scene as a superhero, newborn and powerful, ready to solve all problems. This is the behavior of several tech billionaires who, with compassionate hearts and unfathomable sums of money, believe they can apply their wealth and technology to solve everything. The Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative (of Facebook wealth), in September 2016 announced a $3 billion project, “to cure, prevent or manage all diseases by the end of the century.” Beautifully intentioned work—based on the belief that science and computer programming can solve all the problems of humanity.³ The Progress Trap.

What is legacy, then, if not changing things, if not making life better in the future? What is the difference we’ve made that we want to offer to future generations?

You are the result of the

love of thousands.

Linda Hogan, Native American Chickasaw