Leading for Legacy

This episode is a sneak peek into my private, seven episode mini-feed called “7 Steps to a Legacy Building Career”. This episode is Step 6: Leading for Legacy. Head here if you want to get access to the rest of the feed.

{If you’re reading this in real time, there are just a few days left to apply for the 2022 cohort of Elevate! We will only be running this program once in 2022, so don’t miss your chance! Head here to get all your questions answered and apply: https://scholarsvoice.org/elevate}

If you’ve reached (or almost reached) the post-tenure phase of your career, then you have a lot of people around you, hopefully supporting you and the legacy you’re trying to create, but also depending on you. From your own family, to grad students, research colleagues, junior faculty, co-authors… you are leading a lot of people. 

You might be thinking that at this stage, your obligation is to give back, work harder for others, do more. But I encourage you to head to the main podcast and listen to Despina’s interview episode. She thought she would come to Elevate and learn to be a more effective leader by learning strategies to do more. What she discovered was that she became a more effective leader by learning to fill herself up and let herself rest. 

“Post-tenure, you’re holding up a lot of people, but if you can’t fill yourself, you’re not going to be able to fully support all those people.” -Cathy Mazak

So, as you reflect on those around you and consider how to most effectively lead to support the legacy you are creating with your career, I encourage you to ask yourself these questions:

How can I model success in a new way?

If we want to lead for change, create new systemic structures and reject the racist, ableist, patriarchal models we’ve been brought up on, we will need to show those around us what success can look like!

“That is leadership–leading people to new ways to do things.” -Cathy Mazak

What are you doing to improve your professional life? How are you setting up more supports for you, the person?

The most effective, whole leaders pour into themselves. Leading effectively, for the legacy and impact that you want to make in your career, requires rest, rejuvenation, and care. How are you getting that for yourself?

“You are precious.” -Cathy Mazak

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