Your Leadership Legacy: How Will You Leave Your Mark?
One of my first roles was working as a customer service representative for Optus. The company had recently come into the market as the first competitor to Telstra, and there was an incredible focus on taking care of people and customers. Then-CEO Bob Mansfield OAM led the initiative. Bob was much-loved and known to be incredibly approachable. We had two head offices, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney. When Bob visited from Sydney, he walked the floors and made time to meet and get to know everyone from the frontline, support teams and leadership.
On one particular shift, I was waiting for a call when I looked up and saw Bob Mansfield approaching my desk. I was star-struck, knowing who he was and the position he held. He introduced himself and we chatted when the phone suddenly rang. I froze, feeling conflicted about what to do next. Should I pick up the call? Should I keep talking? Would it be rude if I picked up the call? As my internal dialogue raced, Bob sensed my hesitation and said, ‘It’s all good, just pick up the phone.’ He remained by my desk while I spoke with the customer. Fortunately, it wasn’t a complex call, but still mildly nerve-racking with the CEO listening! I completed the call and Bob said, with genuine interest, ‘So tell me, how was the customer? Were they happy?’
I shared my experience of the customer conversation. Bob thanked me for my time and continued on his way. In that moment, he showed that the customer was most important, not him. When Bob Mansfield announced his retirement, people cried in the corridors. Such was the power of his leadership and how he made people feel. He always showed the importance of the customer and the team in actions, not just words. I carry that lesson with me always.
Although it has been nearly thirty years since Bob Mansfield held that position, people in my Service Leadership programs still mention his name when I ask about the most customer-focused leader they have ever known. My dear friend and colleague, Annmarie Carroll, shared her memories of working with Bob.
‘As a young corporate HR professional, being a part of and watching a telco grow from the ground up in Melbourne gave me incredible insight into the power of inspiring leadership. CEO Bob Mansfield provided complete transparency and authenticity to the young and enthusiastic workforce that generated immediate trust and commitment in this fast-growing start-up workforce. His honest communication sessions every week were televised live, bravely providing the opportunity for any staff member to call and ask a ‘live’ question.
I was fascinated to see that no matter how busy the floors of the corporate centre building were, everyone would stop their meeting or move to a tv screen to listen to Bob’s weekly update. He made every individual feel valued and essential to the business. Central to our organisational purpose was a customer focus that built a company culture that was impossible to match by our main competitor.
This customer focus permeated our leadership decisions, hiring, training, values and language. Every win was celebrated, and every failure was seen as a learning experience. His energy lifted the training floor I managed every time he walked through the door — always unannounced, always motivated with his sleeves rolled up! He had a gift for remembering everyone’s name and would never forget to thank the teams or individuals he came into contact with.
Bob’s departure from the organisation proved that some people are not replaceable. I watched the next CEOs come and go and the energy and customer focus of the organisation start to wane as short-term profitability became the driver. My own leadership style was influenced by Bob’s values, the importance of kindness, transparency and acknowledgment and power of the individual, be they a customer, co-worker, executive, board member, cleaner or delivery person.’
Imagine that being written about you as a leader thirty years later.
“The true mark of a leader is measured by the lives that leader touches.”
In the busyness of taking care of teams, people, tasks, and demands, it is sometimes easy to forget the impact of service leaders. Yet I continue to see and hear of that impact and the difference they make in the lives of others.
So, fast forward to five, ten, twenty or even thirty years from now.
What will your legacy be?
How do you want to be remembered? What difference did you make to the people you met and the lives you touched? We all leave a legacy — whenever we go.
Maybe you will work for one company, maybe for many. Maybe you have your own business or will build your own in the future. Regardless of the company or the industry you work in, as a service leader, how you lead will impact you and future generations.
I highly recommend taking some time to go to a quiet place and reflect. Think about the legacy you will leave for your team, your organisation and your customers. Write it down and keep it close to you.
May it guide you in everything you do.
