Every manager is shaped, in part, by the managers who managed them.
Some taught us what to do. Others taught us what never to do. Either way, those lessons become part of how we lead.
Your job as a manager is to take the best of what others taught you, combine it with your own values and experiences, and become the manager someone else will one day remember.
Insight: Every manager leaves a legacy
Most of us can name one or two managers who had a lasting impact on our careers.
If I asked you why they mattered, chances are you wouldn't start by describing the work you did together. You'd remember what you learned from them and how they supported you.
Maybe they trusted you with an opportunity before you felt ready. Maybe they took the time to explain their thinking. Maybe they challenged you because they knew you were capable of more. Or perhaps they created an environment where it felt safe to ask questions or make mistakes.
Years later, those moments remain with us. Not because they were extraordinary, but because they helped us see something we couldn’t see ourselves.
As managers, we rarely stop to think about the legacy we're creating while we're creating it. But every conversation, decision, and opportunity we create becomes part of what others learn from us.
Real Leadership Story: The people we remember
One of the managers I still think about today wasn't the easiest person to work for.
She once sent me a meeting request with the subject line: Managing Tone. I had no idea what it was about and had to prepare for it with another, more senior leader before I could even walk into the room.
She had high standards and wasn't shy about enforcing them. But she was also the only manager I've had who could tell you exactly what she believed you were capable of, even when you couldn't see it yourself.
I remember my first annual performance review with her, she started with what I was doing well before turning to what needed work.
Years later, I couldn't tell you most of what she said that day. But one thing has stayed with me ever since.
She looked at me and said, "Sherry, when most people walk into the boardroom, no one looks up. When you walk into the boardroom, everyone looks up."
She wasn't telling me I was more important than anyone else.
She was telling me that I had a bigger presence than I realized, and with that came a responsibility to be intentional about how I showed up. My words, my energy, and my reactions carried more weight than I understood at the time.
I don't think I fully appreciated what she meant that day. But I've thought about that conversation many times over the years because she helped me see something about myself that I couldn't yet see on my own. She changed the way I understood my own influence.
In the Moment: What would they do here?
Think about a manager who had a lasting impact on you. What did they do that stayed with you?
Now consider your own team.
What’s one thing you’ve said to someone on your team that you’ve probably forgotten about, but they haven’t?
When was the last time you told someone what you believed they were capable of?
If someone on your team were to talk about you years from now, what would they say?
Leadership isn't only about getting results. It's also about deciding which lessons you want people to carry forward when they leave.
Question to Sit With This Week:
Who is the manager you still remember, and what did they do that has stayed with you?
Got a leadership challenge? Email me at [email protected] and I’ll tackle it in a future issue of The Present Leader.