A Leader’s Lasting Value Is Measured by Succession

Max Depree, Author of Leadership Is an Art, declared “Succession is one of the key responsibilities of leadership”.

Achievement comes to someone when he is able to do great things for himself; success comes when he empowers followers to do great things with him; significance comes when he develops leaders to do great things for him; but a legacy is created only when a person puts his organization into the position to do great things without him.

Success is not majored by what you are leaving to, but by what you are leaving behind. When all is said and done, you ability to leadership will not be judged by what you achieved personally, or even by what your team accomplished during your years, you will be judged by how well your people and your organization did after you were gone. Lasting value is majored by succession.

This is the end of 21 Laws of Leadership.

John Maxwell summarized the following:

Everything rises and falls on leadership. The more you try to do in life, the more you’ll find leadership really does make the difference.

Personnel determine the potential of the organization; relationships determine the morale of the organization; structure determines the size of the organization; vision determines the direction of the organization; but leadership determines the success of the organization.

Learn to lead, not for yourself but for the people who follow behind you. As you reach the highest levels, don’t forget to take others with you to be the leaders of tomorrow.