[00:00:10] Hi and welcome back to Reflect Forward. I'm your host Kerry Siggins and I'm so glad you are here today.
[00:00:15] Today is part three of my three-part series on a leader's playbook for a radically evolved future
[00:00:22] and I hope you've enjoyed the previous two episodes and today we're going to talk about
[00:00:27] designing a legacy. How do you craft impact that outlasts you? So at its heart, legacy isn't about
[00:00:34] fame or fortune. It's about the realization that your actions can shape the future, touch lives,
[00:00:39] and leave the world better than you found it. And I know if you're like me, you hope to leave your
[00:00:44] mark. And so that's why thinking about your legacy is so important. So as you navigate the complexities
[00:00:50] of 2025, part of being a visionary leader and creating human connections in a tech-filled world,
[00:00:56] you also have to question your legacy. It's become more urgent than ever. What are you leaving behind?
[00:01:01] Leaders must transcend the pursuit of short-term wins to design futures that matter. We business
[00:01:07] leaders, we can change the world for better or for worse. What are you doing? Are you changing it for
[00:01:12] better or for worse? You need to ask yourself this question. So this final installment challenges you to
[00:01:17] think beyond quarterly reports and results and KPIs and instead shift your focus to a broader, more
[00:01:24] enduring goal. How your leadership today can create the legacy that enriches tomorrow. Well, let's dive into
[00:01:31] it. Number one, you've got to rethink success. You've got to move beyond quarterly goals. For so long, success
[00:01:38] has been driven by metrics, revenue growth, market share, shareholder value. While of course, all of
[00:01:44] these are incredibly important, they represent only a part of the story. And in a world grappling with all
[00:01:50] kinds of issues right now, I believe that success must be redesigned to include how your leadership
[00:01:57] positively impacts people, communities, and all of the ecosystems you touch. So as you're thinking
[00:02:02] about this, you need to ask yourself questions like, what will my company stand for when I'm no longer
[00:02:08] in the room? And how will my business contribute to a better world, not just a better balance sheet?
[00:02:14] Leaders who rise to this challenge will build organizations who not only thrive in today,
[00:02:19] but for decades to come. StoneAge is 45 years old. And my goal is that it goes on for another 45 years
[00:02:25] and another 45 years built upon the legacy that I'm leaving behind around how we treat people,
[00:02:32] how we innovate for our customers, how we solve tough challenges, how we lean into the volatility
[00:02:38] of the world today. That's what legacy is about. So really think about what success means to you.
[00:02:45] Is it really just about the metrics that you're leaving behind, growth, profitability? Or is it the
[00:02:50] way that you make people feel? Is it the impact that you're having on your customers and your
[00:02:56] stakeholders in your industries and in your communities? That's what success is truly about.
[00:03:02] Number two, the art of regenerative leadership. To build a lasting legacy, leaders must shift from
[00:03:08] extractive to regenerative practices. So what do I mean by that? That means about designing systems
[00:03:13] that replenish rather than deplete resources, whether it's human, environmental, or financial.
[00:03:18] We need to be thinking about how we're putting back in, not just how we're taking out.
[00:03:23] So what are the principles of regenerative leadership? Well, my favorite thing, people first.
[00:03:28] You've got to invest in the growth, well-being, and empowerment of your team. The people you nurture
[00:03:34] today will carry you forward. I know that to be true. I look at the founders of StoneAge and all of
[00:03:40] the investment and growth they put into me and how I have been building the company for the last 18 years.
[00:03:45] It is built upon the nurturing that they gave me, and I have built upon their values and strengthened
[00:03:52] their values within this company, but this is because they invested in me. So that's what you
[00:03:57] need to do with your team. How are you really instilling those values so that they transcend
[00:04:01] beyond you? And that's why you have to put people first. The second thing is environmental stewardship.
[00:04:06] This is the one planet that we're living on, and we have to take care of it. So are you aligning your
[00:04:12] operations with sustainable practices that protect and restore the planet? And then number three,
[00:04:18] creating a circular value, right? How are you developing products, services, processes that
[00:04:23] generate ongoing benefits for all of your stakeholders, not just your shareholders? And for me, my
[00:04:28] stakeholders are my shareholders, right? Being an employee and company, but we really think about
[00:04:32] that. In my industry, we do have this very circular value creation model where we have OEMs and
[00:04:40] facility owners and contractors who have to really work together, partner together to create values.
[00:04:46] This idea of circular value creation is really, really important. It has to be between the stakeholders
[00:04:52] in your industry and how your customers and your employees and those experiences are really
[00:04:58] intertwined. So that's what regenerative leadership is all about. And regenerative leaders understand that
[00:05:04] they are not just building for today, that they're building for the next generation, which is going to look
[00:05:08] very different than what it does today. Number three, you have to inspire others to carry the torch.
[00:05:14] Your legacy is not just what you create, but it's what you inspire others to continue. I love this
[00:05:21] quote that I heard from a fellow YPO who said, you know, most leaders think about the impact that
[00:05:26] they're making on others, which is really important. We need to understand if we're negatively or
[00:05:29] positively impacting others. But the sign of true leadership, of exponential leadership,
[00:05:35] is how people experience themselves in your presence. And that is really what inspiring others to carry
[00:05:44] the torch is all about. How do you inspire others to invest in themselves, to grow, to push themselves?
[00:05:51] Because leadership is not a solo act. It is not about us, no matter how much we might think it
[00:05:56] might be. But it really does have a ripple effect, whether we're doing that in a positive way or a
[00:06:01] negative way. The cultures and the value and the vision that you install in your team will absolutely
[00:06:06] outlive your tenure, which will shape the future long after you've moved on. So how do you inspire
[00:06:12] enduring impact? Well, one, you have to lead by example. I always talk about role modeling and
[00:06:16] everything that we do. Are you embodying the values and principles that you want your organization to
[00:06:21] uphold? The days of do as I say, not as I do leadership are over. At least I hope they are.
[00:06:26] Because people want to be inspired by their leader. And if you want to have enduring impact,
[00:06:32] you have to inspire people in a positive way. You need to also empower others to lead. Leadership is
[00:06:37] not about us. It's about how we are helping others grow, how we are building leaders of leaders. So
[00:06:42] you've got to create pathways for emerging leaders to really step into their roles of influence and
[00:06:47] responsibility. And you only do that if you empower them, if you give them decision-making authority,
[00:06:52] if you allow them to have autonomy in their jobs, and if you invest and develop in their growth.
[00:06:59] And finally, tell the story of your why. People want to connect with you as a leader,
[00:07:04] and they want to understand who you are. So share the deeper purpose behind your actions and your
[00:07:10] decisions. A compelling narrative about who you are and what you're about and how you're leading the
[00:07:16] company and where the company is going, right? It binds people to your vision, and it motivates them
[00:07:21] to carry that vision forward. I know this to be so true at Stone Age, right? We have this really big
[00:07:27] vision of our future. And it's my job to inspire people to aspire to that vision. And they can't
[00:07:34] do that if I'm not passionate, and I don't share my personal passion for why we're doing this,
[00:07:40] and how it's going to change lives, and how we're going to build this organization that
[00:07:44] allows our employees to really benefit in the success of the company because they're all
[00:07:48] owners. And all of those whys are really, really important, and it helps people connect into what
[00:07:53] we're doing and feel more motivated to do the hard work of achieving a really big vision. So those are
[00:08:00] how you inspire, enduring impact, and really create a legacy for yourself. Number four, you've got to
[00:08:07] write your legacy manifesto. I'm such a believer in writing things down, right? Our thoughts become
[00:08:14] our actions, and our actions is what creates our life. So if you want to have a great legacy that
[00:08:21] you're leaving behind, you need to crystallize it by writing a manifesto. So I've written down a
[00:08:26] guiding document that aligns the purpose and the principles of my leadership. It's not just a static
[00:08:32] statement. It is absolutely evolved over time, and it's a living blueprint for the impact that I want
[00:08:37] to leave. So how do you write a legacy manifesto? Well, first you define your purpose. Why are you
[00:08:44] leading? Why do you want to change the world? What do you want to create in the world, and why? What is
[00:08:50] your purpose? Outline your principles. What values guide your decisions? How do you want these values to be?
[00:08:57] How do they drive what you do? What happens when one of those principles is out of alignment? How do you
[00:09:03] act? How do you show up? How do you realign? Number three, you need to envision your impact. What will your
[00:09:11] legacy look like in 10, 50, or 100 years? Consider the people, the community, and the systems that you will
[00:09:17] influence. Write that out because visioning is how we create the life that we want for ourselves. When you write
[00:09:23] it down, don't just write down what you think it's going to look like. Write down what it feels like and what
[00:09:28] other people are going to feel like. When we actually embody the feelings of the emotions of what we want
[00:09:35] that legacy to look like, we are much more likely to actually make it happen. And then number four,
[00:09:41] translate your vision into specific measurable goals. So that can be done personally, and that needs to be
[00:09:47] done with your company. So for example, StoneAge's vision is by 2040 to have working industrial cleaning
[00:09:55] robotics in every heavy manufacturing industrial facility worldwide. That is really clear and
[00:10:01] measurable. It's a big goal, but we can measure it. So it is actionable. And then we say, here's how
[00:10:07] we're going to do it, right? We're going to reverse engineer it. You can also do this with your personal
[00:10:11] legacy too. And then it allows you to have a roadmap for how you're going to move forward. And then share
[00:10:16] your manifesto with your team. Invite their input. This collaboration strengthens the collective
[00:10:21] ownership of your vision, which is what you need within your company. And then finally, number five,
[00:10:26] you have to have a legacy that transcends profit. Like I said at the beginning, at the heart, legacy is
[00:10:33] not about fame or fortune, right? It's about contribution. It's a realization that your actions
[00:10:38] can shape futures, touch lives, and leave the world better than how you found it. And that should be the
[00:10:43] mission of every single one of us human beings. And if that was, I will tell you the world will be a
[00:10:48] better place. So you have the ability to leave your world better by having a clear legacy that helps
[00:10:56] your team create products and services that improve the lives of your customers and your communities
[00:11:02] that you serve. So as we close this series, I really encourage you to reflect on the question of what do
[00:11:08] I want my leadership to stand for? And how can I make this vision real? What do I need to do today,
[00:11:13] tomorrow, and in 10 years to bring this to fruition? How do I create a legacy that transcends profit
[00:11:21] and growth? The leaders who commit to this level of intentionality won't just succeed in 2025. They'll
[00:11:27] become the architects of a brighter future for all of us. And that is so incredibly powerful. It's what
[00:11:33] all leaders should aspire to, in my humble opinion. All right, that wraps up the leader's playbook for a
[00:11:40] radically evolved future. And I hope that you really enjoyed it. The world needs bold, compassionate,
[00:11:45] and visionary leaders right now more than ever. And that leader can really be you. And I wish you
[00:11:52] nothing more than to feel inspired and equipped to step into 2025 with confidence in this radically
[00:12:00] evolved future that we are embarking on. We can do hard things. We can do this work. 2025 is going to be
[00:12:07] bumpy. There's no doubt, just like 2024 was bumpy. And if you lean into the discomfort with a visionary
[00:12:14] mindset, with the desire to increase human connections, and the intention to leave a lasting legacy behind,
[00:12:23] you will make 2025 fantastic. All right, with that, I will leave you to your day and to the rest of this
[00:12:30] year. If you're listening to this in 2025 already, welcome. I hope that it's off to a great start. And
[00:12:36] thank you so much for sharing such a unbelievably successful 2024 with me. I appreciate all of your
[00:12:44] support. We've grown our podcast audience like just exponentially. And so I really appreciate
[00:12:50] everybody's support on this podcast. So if you like it, please share it with a friend, write a review,
[00:12:56] subscribe to it on YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform. And I look forward to 2025 with you.
[00:13:04] Take care and we'll see you next week.
[00:13:06] Bye.