I have two questions for you today:
- How do you want to be remembered as a leader? Think about that. What’s your legacy? How do you want the people who worked for you to remember you?
- Are you leading that way right now? That’s an eye-opening question and a good moment to reflect.
In a recent onboarding session at Service Express, I talked about a critical moment in my career that happened over 25 years ago. Back then, I wasn’t leading the way I wanted to lead. I wasn’t the leader I hoped to be.
I wasn’t hiring the right people and wasn’t treating people right. I had a high turnover because I was too intense. I was pushing people away instead of attracting them to Service Express and my team.
I had to take a hard look in the mirror and admit that all of that was on me; it was my style, actions and choices.
Fortunately, that moment shaped my career, and I made big changes. It also shaped our people-first mindset at Service Express. We always had that value, but this pushed us to act on it in real ways.
Even now, I still work on it. I’m still intense. I still expect people to give their best and treat others well. But I’ve grown, improved and I keep checking myself.
Back then, the way I wanted to be remembered as a leader didn’t match how I was behaving. I wasn’t living it. And that’s why I still ask myself those same two questions today. It keeps me grounded.
I want to be remembered as a coach. Someone who celebrates people’s wins. Someone who challenges them to grow. Someone who adds value to their life and career—because I care about them. It’s not about me, it’s about them.
So, ask yourself: How do you want to be remembered as a leader? Are you leading that way right now?
