Why Great Leaders Build Other People's Legacies First - And How It Strengthens Your Own Impact

"I'll never forget the moment that changed how I think about leadership. It happened during my tenure as president of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, when I learned that one of our longtime supporters, a commercial real estate developer named Irwin, was nearing the end of his life and despairing that his contributions no longer mattered. We brought him to campus to show him otherwise."

"He arrived in a wheelchair, accompanied by his wife and driver and we took him around to revisit the many places shaped by his generosity. As we passed each building, program and project he helped make possible, he grew emotional. He didn't need fanfare. He simply needed to see that his work had left a lasting impression."

"At the end of our visit, I told him something that came to me at that moment: 'If we have seen further as a university, it's because we've been standing on the shoulders of giants like you.' I hope that assurance allowed him to rest easier in his final days. It taught me a truth I've carried ever since: leadership should be about securing the legacies of those around you."

"Once I adopted a people-first mindset, something unexpected happened: I became far more effective. During my time as dean at Washington State University, the business school was on the verge of losing its accreditation. I didn't have all the answers, so instead of trying to devise the solution myself, I opened the accreditation documents to everyone-faculty, staff, and alumni-and asked for help."

Leadership should prioritize securing the legacies of others by listening, empowering, and building the impact of supporters and team members. A longtime donor named Irwin, nearing the end of life, was brought to campus to revisit buildings and programs he funded and became emotional upon seeing his enduring imprint. The assurance that the institution stood on the shoulders of such benefactors reinforced a people-first approach. Adopting that mindset led to greater effectiveness, illustrated when opening accreditation documents to faculty, staff, and alumni enabled a collaborative turnaround that no single leader could have achieved.

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