What follows then is my attempt to identify the memories that matter—or
will matter—for you as a leader:
• People you developed who went on to stellar accomplishments.
• Two or three people you developed who created stellar firms of their own.
• The long shots you bet on who surprised themselves—
and your peers.
• The people who later say, “You made a difference in my life—your belief in
me changed everything.”
• The sort of/character of people you hired (and bad apples you chucked out
despite some stellar traits.)
• A few projects you doggedly pursued that still make you smile and
changed the way things are done inside or outside the company or industry.
• The supercharged camaraderie of a great team aiming to change the world.
• Belly laughs at some of the stupid-insane things you and your mates tried.
• A consistent record of having invariably said, “Go for it!”
• Not intervening in the face of loss—knowing that developing talent means
tolerating failures and allowing people to work out of their self-created mess.
• Dealing with one or more crises with particular/memorable aplomb.
• Demanding/demonstrating civility, regardless of circumstances.
• Turning around dreadful situations —and watching people rise to the occasion
and acquire a new sense of purpose.
• Leaving something of lasting worth.
• Having almost always put quality and excellence ahead of quantity.
* Times when you did the right thing
• A sense of time honorably spent.
• Expressions of simple human kindness and consideration—no matter
how harried you may have been.
• Knowing that your demeanor and expression of character always set the
tone—especially in difficult situations.
• Rarely letting your expression of enthusiasm/determination flag—the
rougher the times, the more your expressed energy, optimism, and humor.
• The earned respect of your peers.
• A stoic unwillingness to badmouth others—even in private.
• An invariant creed: When something goes amiss, the buck stops with me; when
something goes right, it was your doing.
• A naïve belief that others will rise to the occasion if given the opportunity.
• Eschewing trappings of power (strong self-management of tendencies
toward arrogance or dismissiveness).
•Intensity, even driven, but not to the point of being careless of others.
• Willingness to be surprised by ways of doing things that are inconsistent
with your certain hypotheses.
• Humility in the face of others, at every level, who know more than you about “the way
things really are.”
• Biting your tongue on a thousand occasions—and really listening—and being
delighted when you learn something new.
• Unalloyed pleasure in being informed of the fallaciousness of your beliefs by a person
15 years your junior.
• Selflessness—a reputation as a person who helps out despite personal cost.
• Having been as thoughtful and respectful, or more so, toward enemies
as toward friends and supporters.
• Always being first of service to your internal and external constituents (employees,
customers, vendors, community.)
• Treating servant leadership as holy writ (and preaching SL to others).
• Creating the sort of workplace you’d like your kids to inhabit.
• Being a certifiable nut about quality, safety, integrity, regardless of costs.
• Resigning a few times rather than compromise your bedrock beliefs.
• Seeking perfection just short of the paralyzing variety.
• A self- and group-enforced standard of Excellence-in-all-we-do and Excellence
in our behavior toward one another.

References:

www.leaderexcel.com