A legacy is built on purpose, one decision at a time.
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Some of our competitors are more profitable than we are.
I can write that sentence without flinching because somewhere along the way, profit stopped being how I measure my leadership. If the true test were the P&L, I would have run Hubbell differently, and I am convinced the company would matter less today. The numbers I am proudest of after two decades as CEO do not appear on any financial statement.
Glenn Llopis has argued that legacy is measured in significance rather than sales, and that too few leaders ever develop a legacy-driven mindset. I agree. A community leader once told me that those of us who thrive in a place owe it a kind of civic rent.
When it comes to your business, ask yourself: What do I want the people in my company and my community to think, feel, and believe about me as a leader? What will be true because I led? Who are the people my leadership will impact?
Your leadership legacy is the answer you build, decision by decision, whether you intend to or not.
A 170-Year Case Study
F.M. Hubbell made his first real estate transaction in 1856 at sixteen years old. Over 170 years later, the company he founded still reflects his entrepreneurial drive and his philanthropy, which the Hubbell family carries on across Iowa. A century after his passing, his influence still ripples through my community. That is lasting influence, and no balance sheet records it.
My own chapter is shorter.
I became CEO in 2004, and we grew from 70 associates to more than 700 at one time. As I handed the baton to my successor, Kyle Gamble, he has committed to continuing our Hubbell Extreme Build tradition. One associate recently wrote to me that the culture of giving is now cemented into the fabric of the company and will pass from one generation of leadership to the next. That note meant more to me than the growth figures.
Jackie Jaakola, the President/CEO of EveryCat Health Foundation, wrote a piece on mission-driven leadership makes this underlying point well. A legacy that depends on one person is too fragile to last, and the real work is embedding values so deeply that they outlive your tenure.
Aligning Your Decisions with Legacy
Legacy gets built in ordinary decisions long before it shows up in ribbon cuttings. Showing up, keeping commitments, and recognizing people all count. At Hubbell, every associate is encouraged to have at least one involvement outside of work, and we support it with volunteer time off, because a company’s community impact should not depend on the CEO’s calendar.
I have received awards over the years, and I am grateful for them, but awards fade. What lasts is a transformed community and a company that keeps giving after you are gone.
So here is my challenge. Write your own leadership legacy statement. Keep it to one page, and describe what you want to be true about your company, your people, and your community on the day you hand off the baton.
Then audit your calendar and your budget against it, because when your legacy statement and your ledger tell different stories, the ledger usually wins. The bottom line tends to follow when you focus on the bigger picture.
A legacy only comes when you build it on purpose.
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