When you focus on building a legacy, often you end up considering the responsibility that comes with your power. Thinking in legacy mode will help you figure out where you can have the greatest impact. 

As you move up the corporate ladder and consider your legacy, succession planning takes on a new level of importance. You may look at the individual or individuals who might have the capacity to take on some of your responsibilities or you may look for the talent to take your position when you move on. This endeavor typically comes with several hurdles, as well as many positive results.

Challenges:

• Long Learning Curve – Often, employees feel overwhelmed when faced with new processes, ideas and responsibilities. Leaders who adopt a patient mentoring mindset can help by working closely with an emerging leader and celebrating each small win.
• Takes Time and Energy – It is likely that a leader will want to be prepared to make a significant investment of time and energy to guide the mentee along their journey. When emphasis is placed on ensuring the time is well spent, it is unlikely to feel like a burden to the mentor. Actually, it can feel quite rewarding in the end.
• A Political and Complex Business Environment – Navigating company politics when advocating for an emerging leader may sometimes feel like you’re trying to avoid land mines that you can’t easily identify in advance. The pressure from above or below may be even more intense in instances where you meet resistance to your succession plan. Leaders often feel the weight of responsibility for helping the mentee achieve their dreams and fear making a costly error.

Positive Outcomes:

• Employee loyalty tends to increase when career satisfaction is achieved. As a result of the mentorship of emerging leaders, typically the organization is more likely to retain its best talent.
• Individuals who are on the cusp of achieving their full potential have a greater opportunity to advance in their careers and build new valuable leadership skills.
• When leaders bring others along for the ride, they leave an indelible mark on talented individuals and the organization.
• The followership created in developing new leaders becomes a support system for the leader mentoring and coaching them toward their success.