Why Building Other People’s Legacies Is the Real Direction of Leadership

There’s something about being between books and between flights. That quiet space where you’re not rushing, not deep in a project, just flipping through something you once read, something you picked up with good intentions and set aside.

That’s where I was this morning. Coffee nearby. Old entrepreneurial magazine in hand. And an article that felt less like something new… and more like a life lesson being handed back to me for review.

I Used to Think Direction Meant Destination

There was a time in my life when “direction” was very specific. Get to this company by this age. Hit this level by that point. Build the right resume story. I was close. Close enough to taste it. I made bold moves. I changed paths. At one point, I even stepped “backward” in my career, at least on paper, because I believed it was necessary to get to where I was trying to go. It felt strategic. Focused. Driven. But it was also incomplete.

The Lesson Time Eventually Teaches

With age and experience, I started to see something I didn’t understand back then: You can climb fast and still be going the wrong way. Because the direction that only centers on you eventually runs out of road. This world is small. Our careers feel big when we’re in them, but industries are tight circles. The people you work with today show up again five, ten, or fifteen years later. The impressions you leave echo. And here’s what hit me hardest this morning while reading:

My greatest strength was never just performance.

It’s building.

I build People.
I build people’s confidence.
I build bridges for others to step into new rooms.
I build momentum for people who haven’t yet seen their own potential.

And when I focus on that? Everything else seems to fall into place.

Direction Gets Clearer When It’s Shared

I used to think direction was about the company, the title, the timeline. Now I see it differently. Direction is about impact. Impact is about people. And people are the only thing that lasts. At the end of the day, roles change. Companies shift. Industries evolve. But the people you helped? The ones you mentored, opened doors for, and believed in before they believed in themselves? That’s the part that sticks. That’s the part that comes back around in ways you can’t predict.

That’s legacy.

And if I’m honest, that’s the direction that finally feels right.