1 | Welcome to Legacy Month!

Welcome back. This month we're diving into the third and final principle in our leadership of others series. We've covered leading people 1:1 and leading through influence without a title. Now we're going to tackle something that separates good leaders from great ones - and that's building builders who can out build you.

This is legacy month. And I want to start by shifting how you think about legacy entirely.

Most leaders have an exit strategy, but rarely take the steps to actually empower people to carry on the vision to greater heights than they could. They're focused on accomplishing the mission, rallying the team, getting results. And that's good - but it's not enough if you want to create lasting impact.

The most inspiring leaders I know focused more on empowering the next generation's legacy rather than their own. And here's what's fascinating - in doing so, they actually established a stronger legacy for themselves.

Think about it. What's more impressive - being known as the person who accomplished something great, or being known as the person who empowered others to accomplish things even greater than what you did?

About ten years ago, I dedicated an entire year of my life to learning how to do this. I studied leaders who had successfully built other leaders. I looked at mentors who had raised up people who surpassed them. And here's the best framework I found for building builders who can out build me.

It starts with one person.

Legacy doesn't just happen by empowering a team of people. It's built one person at a time. So here's how you do it:

Find one person that you trust and that you can see going and doing greater things than you. Invite them into an apprentice-type relationship. This isn't about finding someone to delegate tasks to. This is about finding someone you believe has the potential to exceed what you've accomplished.

Here's the journey of an apprentice, and it's beautifully simple:

Stage 1: I do. You watch. This is where they observe you in action. They see how you make decisions, how you handle challenges, how you approach problems. They're learning by watching, absorbing your methods and mindset.

Stage 2: I do. You help. Now they're not just watching - they're participating. They're your hands and feet, but you're still leading the way. They're getting experience while you maintain responsibility.

Stage 3: You do. I help. This is the big transition. Now they're taking the lead, but you're right there beside them. You're coaching, supporting, advising, but they're making the calls and taking ownership.

Stage 4: You do. I watch. This is the goal - they're fully empowered to lead, and you get the joy of watching them succeed. They don't need you anymore, but the relationship continues as they become peers and eventually mentors to others.

That's the basic framework for building a builder who can outbuild you.

But here's what makes this powerful - it's not just about transferring skills or knowledge. It's about transferring vision, values, and the ability to see possibilities that others can't see. You're not just teaching them what to do - you're teaching them how to think.

And here's the beautiful part - when you approach leadership this way, you multiply your impact exponentially. Instead of being limited by what you can personally accomplish, your influence extends through every person you've empowered, and every person they empower.

Over the next few weeks, we're going to break this down step by step. How do you identify the right person? How do you structure these relationships? How do you know when to move from one stage to the next? And how do you do this while still accomplishing your current responsibilities?

Because here's what I know for sure - the leaders who change the world aren't just the ones who accomplish great things. They're the ones who empower others to accomplish even greater things.

And that legacy starts with one person, one apprentice relationship, one decision to invest in someone else's potential to surpass your own.

On that note, that’s all for today!

Welcome to Legacy Month!