But if you jumped ship or disappeared today, what would you leave behind? People who would think and act differently because of your positive influence? Or people who would say “I’m never going to be that way?” “I’ll never hire a lawyer like that again?”

The way that people think, behave, approach work and life as a result of having worked with you – is your leadership legacy. And it doesn’t just affect your colleagues; it affects your clients.

Leaders who take the time to truly understand their legacy enjoy measurably greater levels of job and career satisfaction.  That's particularly critical for lawyers, who are often subject to burnout.  And for those who have "found themselves," they can tolerate the less-satisfying work that occasionally has to be done because they can put it in perspective to a far greater extent. 

Few lawyers get to work on only the work they love, but those who know what they love, and what they want to be remembered for can go about business development with a far greater level of passion and commitment.  It's not just business development for them...it's working on their legacy.

The Power of Legacy Thinking

Thinking about their legacies now can help lawyers build their practices and strengthen their client relationships.

Clients these days are hardly unsophisticated.  They usually can sense when a lawyer truly believes in his or her work, even if it is mundane or routine.  Those lawyers who do have that level of belief or understanding about what they are trying to develop as a legacy are enthusiastic about what they do, and it comes through. 

Clients like and remember that, and it certainly gets communicated to others.  It's like many other person-to-person experiences, and those who have that sense of perspective on their work are simply better at it and happier at it.  You can see it a mile away.  What kind of lawyer would you rather go to, someone who loves what they do, or someone for whom it is just a job?

For younger lawyers and newer partners, legacy thinking helps them to understand the choices they are making.  For example, a line of work that pays the rent in the short-term but offers no fulfillment provides an important learning experience.  If you don't want to spend your career on unfulfilling work, recognize it, and do something about it.  We work way too hard as lawyers to have to be saddled long-term with work that isn't satisfying.  Legacy thinking also gives newer lawyers a chance to figure out how they want to be remembered, and the consequences of pursuing something that isn't worth being remembered for.

Legacy thinking helps lawyers focus.  What's the business that most interests them?  What's the kind of work where they can leave both a sense of value for the client and a sense of deeper satisfaction for themselves (as opposed to merely finishing the transaction)?

Most people have a passion and a desire for a particular type of work.  (Yes, you can even have a passion for financial transactions.  I remember a lawyer who just loved doing debtor-in-possession financing.  It made him feel as if he was helping those who needed a second chance, and that reminded him of some family situation.) That comes through to clients.  They can tell when someone is truly devoted to their work.

Finally, legacy thinking gives lawyers a sense of purpose and meaning, that they are continuing to build either a practice or a firm that will continue to grow and prosper, maybe even long after they are gone.

Understanding your natural leadership role

What kind of a lawyer will you be? Here are six categories we use to help people think about their legacy.  Which one (or  perhaps two) most fit you?

1. An Ambassador (breaking ground without breaking glass)
2. An Advocate (taking up a cause or a mission)
3. Builder/Creator (an innovator)
4. Truth-Seeker (assuring that things are equitable)
5. A People-Mover (focusing on helping people, perhaps mentoring others)
6. A Wise One (to whom people turn for good, solid advice on a range of topics

Remember, you can't be all of them, and don't try to be something you're not. Your leadership legacy has very little to do with your abilities, your measurable performance, your strategic savvy. It has everything to do with who you are, as a person, at work. It has everything to do with your natural role, as opposed to your title and responsibilities.

We’ve posted a free assessment test at www.yourleadershiplegacy.com/assessment.html to help you narrow down your own natural leadership styles. It will help you sort out the distinctions between your roles and titles, and identify where you get the greatest satisfaction and where your strengths lie.

Ultimately, it gives you something to think about as you plan the kind of legacy you want to leave.

Adapted with permission from Harvard Business School Press from Your Leadership Legacy – Why Looking Towards the Future will Make you a Better Leader Today by Robert M. Galford and Regina Fazio Maruca. Copyright 2006 Robert M. Galford and Regina Fazio Maruca. All Rights Reserved.