Intentional Leaders Podcast with Cyndi Wentland
Welcome to the Intentional Leaders Podcast with Cyndi Wentland. Where we’re all about creating confident, successful, and focused leaders who manage with purpose and impact. I’m Cyndi Wentland, the founder of Intentionaleaders. And I’m passionate about learning, teaching, and coaching on all things leadership related. My purpose is to equip leaders like you with the tools, resources, and support to accomplish your goals. To learn when you want, how you want. So, if you’re an aspiring leader, first-time manager, experienced executive, or you just want to make a bigger impact in your role as an individual contributor—this podcast is for you. Because each week we’ll focus on relevant, applicable, and easy to implement skills and practices—to create focus and a deliberate path to employee engagement and business results. I know that leadership has its challenges but learning to lead shouldn’t be one of them.
Intentional Leaders Podcast with Cyndi Wentland
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What if your leadership legacy isn't something you leave behind, but something you give away every day? Join me, as we explore how you can start crafting your legacy from day one by focusing on core values, trust-building, and empowering your team. Research highlights that employees are more engaged and loyal when they feel a strong connection to their leader's vision; hence, your legacy can be an essential catalyst for driving a thriving work culture.
Reflect on the qualities and values that you want to define your leadership and ensure your daily actions align with this vision. Whether you're at the start of your career or a seasoned leader, this episode offers actionable insights on empowering your team to uphold shared values, extending your influence, and fostering an environment where creativity and accountability can flourish. Spare just 15 minutes this week to pinpoint or revisit your core values, and see how this intentional practice can enhance your leadership effectiveness. Share these insights with fellow leaders, and together, create a positive and lasting impact that endures through your collective actions and values.
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Perform with Power, Lead with Impact, Inspire Growth
To sharpen your skills and increase your confidence, check out the Confident Leader Course: https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader
Hello and welcome to the Intentional Leaders Podcast. I'm Cindy Wettlund, and today we're going to think about something very powerful, which is about your legacy. Have you thought about the mark that you'll leave behind as a leader? So many people reflect on their legacy at the end of their career. I think it's essential to think about it at the beginning of your career the influence you have, how you're shaping lives and teams and organization. Today we're going to talk about how you can do that intentionally through your actions and values.
Speaker 1:To start this episode, I probably need to start with the question why legacy matters, and I don't think legacy is reserved for historical figures or CEOs. It's something that every leader creates, whether they realize it or not. Your legacy reflects the culture you build and the trust you earn, but also the impact that you have on those you lead. Consider this Research shows that employees are more engaged and loyal when they feel connected to a leader's vision and values. Employees are more engaged and loyal when they feel connected to a leader's vision and values. So your legacy isn't just a nice to have. It's a driving force that inspires and motivates others.
Speaker 1:As you think about legacy, let's talk about how you can actively shape it, starting with your actions. I hear a lot in classes from people who say that I want to be a role model, I want to lead by example, and I think at the heart of that, people do understand that actions speak louder than words. Legacy isn't built on what you say. It's built on what you do. So, when you think about actionable ways to start shaping your leadership legacy, do it today by focusing on three things. Number one is being consistent in your values. There are many, many leadership classes that I do which include a values inventory. I do that because I think understanding values are essential. Your values, the things that you hold dear, your standards and beliefs are the foundation of your legacy. Do your actions align with the principles that you stand for? If you value transparency, are you open and honest in your conversation, even when it's awkward and uncomfortable? If you value accountability, do you hold yourself accountable or are you prone to making excuses? Have you ever blamed time for not getting something done, or blamed a lack of resources for not doing something or following through or accomplishing goals and I don't mean those aren't factors. Of course they are, but are you holding yourself accountable if that is a value that is important to you.
Speaker 1:Number one be consistent in your values. Number two is you have to trust and empower people. Your impact grows exponentially when you give power away, when you're taking the time to mentor and coach and develop your team. It doesn't just mean when you have direct reports. It means getting into the mindset of sharing what you know. I just recently did a whole podcast about trust because a lot of people believe that trust needs to be earned. I do not believe that. I believe that trust needs to be given and it has a huge effect on how people will trust us.
Speaker 1:And then, number three be an intentional model. And I understand again, leading by intention and wanting to be a good role model is something important to people, but you cannot do that if you lack self-awareness. People around you, when you're in a leadership role, watch how you respond to challenges and setbacks and opportunities. You have to model the behavior that you want to see in others on purpose, whether that's resilience, accountability, empathy, responsibility, whatever it is. Ensure that you're an active role model for it.
Speaker 1:Actions are the building blocks of your legacy, but to make it meaningful, tie those actions to your values I mentioned, being consistent in your values is important the role of values and legacies is essential because it's basically your compass. If you think about how to use your values intentionally, the first thing you have to do is define them. What principles are non-negotiable for you? And when you think about that, I mean there are literally hundreds of values out there. And hey, if you want a values inventory, email me and I will send you one. I will send you the one that I use with hundreds and hundreds of leaders every year. But taking the time to reflect and write them down will serve as your North Star. It can guide your decisions, it can guide your actions and it can guide the role model you want to be.
Speaker 1:It's also that important to communicate your values. Your team should know what you stand for, talk openly about the things that you care about. When people know what drives you, they're more likely to align with your vision. People know what drives you they're more likely to align with your vision, and also know that not everyone shares the same values. I mean that goes without saying, right? You may value accountability and dependability and accuracy and predictability, and I may value collaboration and innovation and change, and we may have differing values. It doesn't mean we can't work well together, but value differences account for a lot of conflicts at work unintentional conflicts because we haven't even communicated what we stand for. Oftentimes our values tend to be a trigger for us for the things that bother us the most. So by communicating your values to others, it will less likely create those unintentional conflicts with other people, because they'll know what you stand for and then align your leadership styles with your values. Are the decisions that you're making consistent with your values? If you value innovation, truly value it, do you create an environment where creativity is encouraged and failure is seen as a learning opportunity? It's safe to fail.
Speaker 1:Once a leader that I admired very much told me legacy isn't just what you leave behind, it's what you give away while you're here, and I thought that was a beautiful mindset, because it isn't about looking backwards, it's about looking forwards. What are you giving people? What kind of environment are you creating? What kind of brand are you creating and are you instilling that kind of culture and environment around you? When you think about building your habits, actions speak louder than words, have clear values, because they play a role in your legacy. Number three is build your legacy every day. Those small habits are the things that affect how you show up. It's about your brand.
Speaker 1:Shaping a legacy isn't a one-time effort, isn't about a monumental thing. It isn't about one significant event. It's about a daily practice as you think about what you want your legacy to be, reflect regularly on it. If we aren't all taking a peek at assessing whether our actions align with our goals and also thinking what the heck did I do today to contribute to my legacy? If we're not actively asking ourselves those questions, we're missing a profound opportunity for self-awareness. I do that consistently. How is what I'm doing each and every day and how I'm showing up aligned with what I want to create?
Speaker 1:The second is to seek feedback. That habit of being open to feedback will increase self-awareness. It's part of the Johari window, which I talk in a lot of my classes about. I have a whole podcast episode about it. In the Johari window there is the spot that we all have that we aren't really in touch with what everybody else knows about us the unseen areas of what we're doing, and is it effective or not effective? Ask other people for feedback. Seek that out. We can't be afraid to understand the truth and the reality of our effect on other people If we truly want to leave a legacy. We have to be open to that. And then, number three celebrating wins. Take the time to celebrate the win and the contributions of your team. Small things make a big difference. That creates legacy, that creates impact and that creates strength in our relationships.
Speaker 1:If you look back at some inspiring leadership legacies, I was thinking about what are the values that were very pervasive in these people, these individuals who created a legacy that was so powerful? Mahatma Gandhi his values of nonviolence and truth and justice, his unwavering commitment to nonviolent resistance, changed the world. Nelson Mandela his values of equality, forgiveness, reconciliation had a significant impact on healing and unity. And Martin Luther King Jr, who valued equality, justice and nonviolent activism. His leadership during the US civil rights movement emphasized peaceful protests and he demonstrated the kind of moral courage that most of us can only dream of.
Speaker 1:As you think about your leadership legacy, consider the following things, and this does not matter where you are in your career what do you want to be remembered for as a leader? You must know that and be acting on those things today. How are your daily actions aligned with the legacy that you want to leave? And, importantly, what are you doing to empower others to carry those values and that vision forward.
Speaker 1:If you take only 15 minutes this week to define or revisit your values, it can have a profound effect on your leadership impact effect on your leadership impact. Share them with your team. Live them intentionally Because remember your legacy is being built every single day and we must make it count. Thank you for joining me today on the Intentional Leaders Podcast. I do hope that this episode has inspired you to think about your legacy and that you take some steps to shape it with purpose. If you found this episode valuable, please to shape it with purpose. If you found this episode valuable, please, please share it with a fellow leader and leave a review to help others discover the show. Until next time, keep leading with intention and making an impact.