Leadership Legacy

What legacy are you leaving as a leader?

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the legacy I left as a leader.  In April of 2019, I completed 40 years of service at Chevron.  At the end of August, 2019, I retired from Chevron.  Over the past year or so, I’ve reflected on my legacy.  In particular, I’ve been wondering whether two questions are aligned:

• What legacy did I want to leave at Chevron?
• What legacy have I left at Chevron?

My reflection has caused a good bit of internal angst.  In particular, how could I have wasted 40 years in creating the legacy that I didn’t want?  Is there any way in the last few months of my employment I could have overcome my existing legacy if it wasn’t what I wanted?

Let me give you a little background on this issue.  I first started thinking about retirement in the summer of 2018, then, a job came up that involved a promotion.  This job was one I didn’t feel technically qualified for, but was encouraged to post for by a key executive who said I had the leadership skills necessary for the job.  I spent a few weeks getting prepared for this promotion, only to find out I didn’t get the role.  Shortly after, I found out that my boss would be moving to a new role.  I surely thought I was the most qualified person to replace him.  The person selected to replace my boss was someone who had worked for me a few years prior.  It was at this point that I understood my career advancement at Chevron was over.  I planned for my retirement, and worked closely with my new boss to ensure a smooth transition.

I’ve stated in a prior post what I wanted to be remembered for (https://mrhensonllc.com/retirement-reflections/).  There were six key things I wanted to be known for:

1. My devotion to family
2. Adding value
3. Negotiating well
4. Developing my team members
5. Coaching and mentoring
6. My humor on the job

The past year has prompted a lot of reflection.  As the emotions of 2018 and 2019 have settled down, it has dawned on me that a true leader’s legacy should boil down to three key things:

1. The organization not only moves on from the leader, but improves.
2. People who have been trained, mentored, and developed by the leader become the new leaders.
3. The true mark of a leader is that his/her followers surpass them in leadership roles.

Did I leave the legacy I wanted to leave?  Only time and my team members will tell.  After much reflection (and a great year devoted solely to my family), I’m satisfied with what I did at Chevron.  Could I have done better?  Sure, but I’ve come to grips with that as well.

I’d love to hear what you think of leadership legacy.