The Way Up

CHAPTER 15Lead While Leaving a Legacy: Make the Greatest Impact You Possibly Can

Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year.

—William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, Civil Rights Pioneer, Author, and Historian, and Co-Founder of the NAACP

Undoubtedly, when you find the way up to a corner office in corporate America, whether physically or virtually, you will take a step back and realize how many hands helped you get there. Climbing to the top of your corporate mountain will just be the beginning. Now that you are at the top and see the world more clearly, you can turn your focus toward leading your teams while leaving a legacy.

One of the hardest hypothetical questions you can ever be asked is: What do you want written on your tombstone? A similar question can be asked with regard to your role as an executive of color at your company: When you leave your firm, how do you want to be remembered? It's a hard question to answer, but you should give it some thought so you can be intentional about where and how you spend your time.

Think through the programs you can create or promote that will leave the company better than the way you found it. Consider your biggest hurdles and difficulties you faced and what changes can be made to have a smoother journey up the mountain for future employees of color. Strive to focus on tangible ways to increase diversity, expand equity, and ...