Special Edition: Our Gift We Leave Behind
By Gary Burnison
“Three words—continue building legacy.”
That was the unequivocal response of Richard Ferry, one of our firm’s pioneering founders, when I asked him a few weeks ago, “Do you have any advice for me?”
His words have stayed with me ever since—particularly now, as we end the first week of the twelfth month of another year coming to a close. It’s a natural time to become more reflective—not only about what’s behind us, but also what lies ahead. Whether our thoughts go to milestones met, challenges overcome, or opportunities awaiting us, we inevitably arrive at what matters most.
At the heart of it all is the gift we leave behind with others. Our legacy.
When many people think of legacy, they perhaps go to something distant—an endpoint that punctuates a career or what remains long after we’re gone. But legacy begins here, in the present, in the day-to-day that reveals not just what we do, but also who we truly are.
Years ago, an executive shared a story with me about her 92-year-old grandfather. He made it a habit to offer a sincere message to everyone who made a difference in his life. Whether speaking to family, friends, or even someone serving him at the local diner, he would ask: “Did anyone tell you how great you are today?”
“I’ve heard this line thousands of times,” she told me. “Yet it still snaps me out of whatever mindset I’m in and humbles me into a simpler state—of being loved and seen.”
Think of legacy as an investment that earns interest over time. It accumulates, compounds, and ultimately becomes the proof point of our purpose, our passion—and, most of all, our impact on other people.
Legacy, by definition, always involves others. So, as we close one year and welcome another, it’s worth reflecting on the gifts we offer and the impact we make on our colleagues and others around us.
What kind of leader are we? Are people learning from us? Would they say they enjoy working with us? Do they feel appreciated and celebrated? Do people feel better after their interactions with us than they did before? And if someone asked them about us, what would they say?
As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
Love, leadership, and legacy aren’t usually placed in the same sentence, yet they always begin with our hearts.
It makes perfect sense. When we work, we bring our loved ones with us. They are part of why we do what we do—with gratitude, grace, appreciation, and—yes—love.
Indeed, the heart of what makes us human is the art of how we shape our legacies.