Written by: Heather Sueirro, Talent Manager
Growing up in South Georgia, I saw firsthand the rapid expansion of the TMX Finance® Family of Companies. Buildings that had been old fast-food restaurants were turning into shiny new red, white, and blue businesses that gave the block an immediate facelift. It wasn’t until I began working with the Company in 2014 that I realized we were not just up and down Abercorn Street in Savannah, GA! I learned that we had hundreds of stores throughout the U.S.! It is no wonder we are celebrating Building a Legacy for our 20th Anniversary.
I was feeling inspired by the idea of building a legacy for myself, but I was not sure where to start. I began to reflect on some of the leadership I have come across and noticed a pattern in their actions. You do not have to be in a leadership role to build a legacy, but it does take a great leader to start the building blocks.
One of the biggest consistencies I have seen in legacy builders is the ability to solve the problems that nobody else wants to solve. A leader can identify gaps in productivity and generate ideas on how to make a process more efficient. They listen to their team, request feedback, and use it as a guideline to create a better environment.
A great leader will also have a high level of transparency with their team and treat them as if they were a family. Having those qualities brings me to my next observed pattern of a legacy builder: they allow their teams to see the big picture. When your team understands that you are looking at them as a family member, adjusting to change becomes much easier.
The most important aspect of a legacy builder I have noticed? They invest in their team. Leaving a legacy means bestowing a gift to another individual who can refer back to it for years to come. Investing in your team, developing their talents, and setting them up for success is the best way to create that gift. Plus, you will have someone to follow in your footsteps in the event you move on to a bigger opportunity.
What I have grown to understand is building a legacy is not about you. Building a legacy is about the people you touch. Do you see how these leadership traits can create lasting impressions? Your legacy may not be present until long after you leave an organization, but laying the groundwork of a leader is a start in the right direction.