“Me!”  That was the answer given by a hospital administrator last week when I asked the question at his hospital’s Leadership Development Institute, “What gets in your way of being the leader you want to be?”  His answer was spot-on and I was impressed with his honesty and personal accountability.

Typically, I hear things like . . . “an endless to-do list, staff that doesn’t respond well to change, bosses who redefine priorities daily, colleagues who are unsupportive and jockey for attention and position, and demanding customers.”  These are just some of the reasons clients and audiences have shared with me why they feel disengaged, burned out and not leaving a work legacy they can be proud of.

Being a “leader” at work is not reserved for those in the C-suite or those who have people reporting to them.  We are all leaders at work because we all have distinct responsibilities and ways of contributing that matter to those we are trying to influence and serve.

LEGACY is a 6-step process for creating a leadership and work legacy that will not only fuel you each day but position you to deliver your best qualities and results that matter to your organization.

1. Leverage who you are.  Know and leverage your unique skills, passions and core values AND link those to the needs of your organization and customers.  This is what I call your “Leadership Sweet Spot.”
2. Express who you are authentically.  This is where attitude and mindset play a big role.  Regardless of your words, the manner in which you express them speaks volumes about the type of leader you are and the degree to which others will want to follow your lead.  If you find that your attitude and mindset are the greatest obstacles to success at work, you may be interested in my new book, So Long Inner Critic, Hello Inner Champion: 25 Tips to Master Your Mindset.
3. Gauge where you are.  Conduct your own SWOT analysis and assess how well you are doing against the leadership and legacy qualities that matter most to you and your organization.  Get feedback from others since we all have blind spots and may be overly critical.
4. Act to close the gaps.  Once you assess where you are and compare that to where you want to be, identify priority areas and create very specific steps that will get you in action.  Knowing what needs to get addressed is very different from doing it.  That’s why the next step is critical.
5. Create a success team.  Invite people to support you and your leadership and work legacy goals.  This also means creating boundaries to prevent the psychic vampires from holding you back.
6. Yearn to give back.  As you achieve your goals and create success on your terms, share the wisdom by encouraging and supporting others to do the same.

“If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would be our legacy?”  — Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture