I got to have a fascinating conversation recently with a client about how leaders lead in different organizations, what their impact and influence are. 

As you might expect, one of the variables that can affect this is intention. Through this conversation, it became clear to me that it’s worth having a specific conversation about a leader’s deliberate intention before they assume a new leadership role.

My client said that in her company culture, leaders were encouraged to think about how they were going to make their mark. This is an intention that permeates the organization, that can be its own default intention. 

To make your mark. This feels different to me from to guide, to serve your organization, or even to leave a legacy.  When the expectation is that a leader is going to make their mark, that means that the organization is going to be visibly, noticeably different when their tenure there is over. People will be able to point to certain aspects of the company and attribute them to that leader.

Is that a good thing?

This makes me think of theatre directors who set out to put their stamp on any production they direct. They hope the audience will notice the choices that they made, the concept of the production, or some aspect that sets this version apart from any other. But why would the audience care about this? They’re not, generally speaking, coming to look for a director’s fingerprints on a play. Instead, they are coming to experience a well-told story onstage. Similarly, when a leader focuses on how they’re going to make their mark, they can lose sight of the larger purpose of leadership. 

What if, instead of worrying whether people will be able to see what we contributed, we work to create a deep and sustained legacy that lives past any one’s person’s memory?