Whether trash or treasure, what you leave behind you leave to someone else. Too often it is the "eat my dust" kind rather than something of great value. Leaving nothing is better than what people neglect to clean up.
Some people (particularly in uncertain economic times and company shakeups) covet information in a disillusioned effort to remain valuable. They hide information, then complain constantly about how overworked they are because everyone demands their time. Then, when they are removed, they hope the company suffers without them. They want their legacy to be that people miss them because they did not feel appreciated while they were there. These people are not only forgotten in a moment, but the collective breathes a sigh of relief they are no longer the log jam in the road.
Others become so emotionally attached to their work product they believe they are the only humans capable of guarding it, and refuse to entertain any innovations or incremental improvements. These people not only never advance, they usually fade away with their creation when a new shiny object comes along and the company moves an entirely different direction. They will talk about the "good old days" when everything was so much better than it is now. They will be remembered for their complaining, not for the great things accomplished in the past.
Maya Angelou, Professor of English Literature Wake Forest University said:
Leaving a legacy of encouragement and empowerment at every job you have is so much more enduring than any widget you'll invent, deal you will close, or process you will perfect. If you have trampled on delicate human flesh to get where you are, you've not only left a legacy of dust, you should watch your back...your legacy may catch up with you.
Few of us can see the true legacy we leave behind in our careers, since people rarely tell us to our faces how we have impacted their lives, good or bad. But they will talk about us...good or bad. When we build up others and help them to realize they can achieve great things, we do more than build the company morale, we build people. And people who are built up will in turn build others. Building such a living legacy becomes legendary in the place where thieves can't steal and moths can't destroy. (Matthew 6:19).
Some people (particularly in uncertain economic times and company shakeups) covet information in a disillusioned effort to remain valuable. They hide information, then complain constantly about how overworked they are because everyone demands their time. Then, when they are removed, they hope the company suffers without them. They want their legacy to be that people miss them because they did not feel appreciated while they were there. These people are not only forgotten in a moment, but the collective breathes a sigh of relief they are no longer the log jam in the road.
Others become so emotionally attached to their work product they believe they are the only humans capable of guarding it, and refuse to entertain any innovations or incremental improvements. These people not only never advance, they usually fade away with their creation when a new shiny object comes along and the company moves an entirely different direction. They will talk about the "good old days" when everything was so much better than it is now. They will be remembered for their complaining, not for the great things accomplished in the past.
Maya Angelou, Professor of English Literature Wake Forest University said:
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Leaving a legacy of encouragement and empowerment at every job you have is so much more enduring than any widget you'll invent, deal you will close, or process you will perfect. If you have trampled on delicate human flesh to get where you are, you've not only left a legacy of dust, you should watch your back...your legacy may catch up with you.
Few of us can see the true legacy we leave behind in our careers, since people rarely tell us to our faces how we have impacted their lives, good or bad. But they will talk about us...good or bad. When we build up others and help them to realize they can achieve great things, we do more than build the company morale, we build people. And people who are built up will in turn build others. Building such a living legacy becomes legendary in the place where thieves can't steal and moths can't destroy. (Matthew 6:19).
No comments:
Post a Comment