What Will Your Legacy Say About You?

Have you ever paused long enough to ask yourself  How do people experience me when I’m not in the room? Not your job title. Not your achievements. But the small, everyday actions tone, words, gestures that shape how others remember working with you?

Reading "The Small Actions That Become Your Legacy" by Elisabeth O. Hayes , published in Harvard Business Review (May 2025), stirred something deeply personal for me. In the article, Elisabeth shares a powerful reflection on her late father a humble man who, even when living with Parkinson’s, asked to be remembered simply with “just the facts.” That quiet dignity reminded me that legacy isn’t defined by accolades it’s etched in how we show up consistently, especially when no one is watching.

As someone who has spent over 30 years in senior leadership roles across the GCC, I found this message deeply resonant. It urged me to pause not to look back on milestones, but to examine the spaces in between. How do I truly want to be remembered not just professionally, but as a person, mentor, and peer?

Reflecting on My Leadership Journey

In recent years, I’ve come to recognize that some of the most meaningful moments in my career were not the product launches or commercial wins, but the instances where I empowered others to rise. I recall a young manager I once mentored hesitant at first, unsure if he could lead a critical portfolio. With coaching, delegation, and belief in his potential, he didn’t just succeed  he surpassed expectations and is now a senior leader in his own right. That transformation wasn’t the result of one grand gesture it was built on small, steady nudges of support and trust.

Reading Hayes’s questions gave me pause

1. What tone do I unintentionally set in meetings or emails?
2. Do my actions reflect the values I claim to hold?
3. Am I empowering others, or unconsciously shouldering too much myself?

Even today, as I lead large teams in a fast-paced market, I’ve had to course-correct. Feedback from my team once revealed I was perceived as “always busy,” and while I believed I was being efficient, what they needed was access, visibility, and presence. Since then, I’ve made a conscious effort to

1. Slow down before reacting under pressure
2. Acknowledge effort beyond results
3. Host informal check-ins, purely to listen and learn

These changes are subtle but they’re shaping the “facts” that will speak long after I’ve moved on from any particular role.

Legacy Is Not a Destination. It’s a Daily Practice.

Elisabeth O. Hayes concludes beautifully

“Lasting impact is shaped by what’s consistent, not necessarily what’s loud.”

I couldn’t agree more. Whether we’re leading a team, building a brand, or mentoring the next generation, our legacy is formed not just in what we achieve, but in how we made others feel along the way.

So, I invite you to reflect as I did

What small actions will define your legacy? And what adjustments can you begin today to align the leader you are with the one you aspire to be?

Please share your reflections or real-life examples in the comments let’s learn from one another.

Gratitude to Elisabeth O. Hayes and Harvard Business Review for this meaningful leadership lens. Full article here  “The Small Actions That Become Your Legacy,” HBR, May 2025.