The Leader's Legacy

I've never spent much time worrying about my own legacy and have urged other CEOs and leaders to focus instead on faithfulness and fruitfulness--and then let the legacies take care of themselves. Yet everyone leaves a legacy. As I write this (on this historic day), President Bush exits and President Obama enters. Pundits will talk endlessly now about legacies. We should pray for both leaders. This week's book on the leader's legacy reminds us that "succession begins before we assume a position of leadership, not when we get ready to leave it." Author David L. McKenna speaks from the trenches--33 years as president of three educational institutions. I enthusiastically recommend his book on the "succession cycle" to leaders young and old. He's wise. He's amazingly transparent (including laugh-out-loud stories on himself). He speaks with authority. When is it time to leave? How do you bless your successor? When do you announce your exit--and what are the pitfalls in making your exit? McKenna has a memorable story for almost every key point of the succession cycle. He's widely read--and the books he references will tempt you to dig deeper. He quotes President Harry Truman who reportedly said, "If I ever get the idea that the band is playing `Hail to the Chief' for me rather than for the Office of the President, we are all in trouble." McKenna sets a high standard for humble leaders in office and even more so after they leave. (When revisiting Seattle Pacific University, where he served as president, he introduced himself to the receptionist of McKenna Hall, named after him. "How do you spell the name?" the receptionist asked him!) He quotes Jeffrey Sonnenfeld's book, The Hero's Farewell: What Happens When CEOs Retire, and describes four kinds of exiting leaders: Monarch, General, Ambassador and Governor. It's worth thinking about your exit style from day one. He has an excellent chapter on corporate lifecycles and the kinds of leaders best suited for each cycle. He also includes Peter Drucker's insightful questions for leaders: 1) What needs to be done? 2) Can I do it? and 3) Do I want to do it? (It's often all about passion.)

David McKenna has done it again! This prolific author in the field of leadership theory and application pulls together career-shaping insights on legacy from his senior leadership experiences. His own journey of signicance as well as success enriches the principles he presents so effectively. Utilizing 12 rules of succession, he gives the reader a wealth of teaching based on both theory as well as practical experience. Leaders just beginning their journey, as well as those preparing for the "final transition" into retirement, will find key insights for their professional, personal and spiritual journey. His wit, wisdom, clarity and conviction inspires and guides each of us committed to finishing well.