Leaving a Legacy: It's in your hands
Barbra Carlisle • July 9, 2025
How everyday leadership leaves a mark
One of the names I thought about using for my podcast related to legacy- but on reflection I knew that people would be uncomfortable thinking that they were leaving a legacy. Sounds so grand. But we do leave a legacy, which we create and add to every day.
When we hear the word “legacy,” our minds often drift to grand, long-term achievements, think buildings named after someone, organisations reshaped, or books written. But in truth, your legacy isn’t something you build one day in the future. You’re creating it now. In every meeting, every decision, and every conversation.
Yet many leaders struggle to recognise that they’re already leaving a mark, whether they mean to or not.
Why Do Leaders Struggle With Legacy?
Partly, it’s to do with your mindset. We are wired to focus on outcomes, targets, and the next milestone. We don’t stop to think about how we get there, or who we bring with us.
There’s also humility at play. You may be thinking "Legacy? That’s not for me. I’m just trying to get through the day without cheesing too many people off."
But legacy isn’t about ego. It’s about impact. The energy you bring to the room. The way you treat people when they’re not in the room. The values you quietly reinforce by what you praise, tolerate, or ignore.
Everyday Marks of an Effective Leader
A legacy-minded leader isn’t one who waits to be remembered. They act with intention now. That might look like:
- Modelling integrity even when no one’s watching.
- Championing the quiet voices that others overlook.
- Creating psychological safety that allows others to thrive.
- Investing in people even when it feels quicker to just “do it yourself.”
- Leading with empathy, especially under pressure.
- Contributing to societal wellbeing through your actions in work, at home, and in your community.
These things often don’t make it onto the project plan. But they shape culture. They influence people’s confidence and courage. And they last far longer than a quarterly result.
A Gentle Prompt
Take a moment this week to ask yourself:
“If someone were to describe my leadership five years from now, what would I hope they say?”
Now bring that intention into the way you lead today. You’re already building your legacy one conversation at a time.
Explore how a CEO lives their values to shape culture, build trust, and lead with purpose. Includes 5 actionable tips for values-driven leadership.
Leadership is as much about emotional resilience as it is about strategy. This may hold particularly true for social purpose organisations in the UK. One CEO of a social purpose organisation, Sophie Livingstone CEO of Little Village said in The Unlikely Executive Podcast "All challenges are about how you hold yourself together" At the heart of Sophie's words is the recognition of the importance, indeed the imperative for leaders to be emotionally intelligent. Recent UK-based research by ChangingPoint underscores this, revealing that 25% greater leadership wellbeing is associated with higher emotional intelligence Leaders who cultivate emotional resilience are better equipped to: navigate uncertainty, manage stress, maintain self care support their teams through change. This is especially critical in environments like Little Village, where the demand for services far exceeds capacity, and the emotional toll of witnessing poverty is high. HR Magazine further supports this shift, noting that adaptability and empathy are now strategic imperatives. The concept of Adaptability Quotient (AQ) which is the ability to thrive in constant change is emerging as a key leadership trait along with Relational Intelligence. . Leaders with high AQ and RI are better placed to thrive, drive transformation, even in resource-constrained settings. Sophie’s practice of “reminding myself that everything in the middle feels like failure” reflects a deep self-awareness. It’s a recognition that leadership is not linear, and that resilience often means holding space for ambiguity and discomfort. This aligns with NHS England’s Culture and Leadership Programme, which promotes compassionate leadership as a foundation for inclusive and effective organisational cultures. In sum, emotional resilience is not a soft skill it’s a strategic asset. Leaders like Sophie demonstrate that by investing in their own emotional development, they can better serve their teams, their mission, and the communities they support. Here are 5 tips to support your resilience as a leader 1. Practice Reflective Journaling Take 10 minutes at the end of each day to reflect on emotional highs and lows. This builds self-awareness and helps identify triggers and patterns. 2. Develop a Personal Resilience Plan Use tools like the CIPD’s Wellbeing Framework to assess your stressors and create strategies for managing them—such as boundaries, rest, and support systems. 3. Engage in Peer Coaching or Supervision Regular sessions with fellow leaders or coaches provide a safe space to process challenges and gain perspective. This is especially valuable in emotionally demanding sectors. 4 Learn to Reframe Setbacks Adopt Sophie’s mindset: “Everything in the middle feels like failure.” Reframing challenges as part of growth helps maintain motivation and clarity. 5. Invest in Emotional Intelligence Training Explore programmes that will support your emotional intelligence and why not invest for your team's growth as well. You can experience strength in empathy, self-regulation, and interpersonal skills. If you would like to receive news please subscribe.
