What is your Marketing Legacy?

On the very first day of my very first job, my manager asked me what my legacy at the company would be. I remember sitting in stunned silence at the question. Why was my manager asking about the legacy I would leave at the company when I hadn’t even started yet? Who thinks about their legacy on day 1?

I remember my manager smiling kindly at my confusion and then explaining to me how knowing your personal legacy from the start can help guide you through the ups and downs of daily grind. We talked about how everyone – regardless of age – start new jobs with wide eyes and boundless enthusiasm but as the emails/meetings pile up our energy gets sapped. We lose direction and stare at our feet rather than keep our eyes on the horizon.

“By keeping your end in mind you will help yourself make it through the days when nothing is going right. And ultimately when you decide to move on from the company or the role, you can look back and be proud of your achievement.”

I have followed this sage advice from my former manager for my entire career and it has served me well – especially as a marketing leader.

When I was new to marketing, I decided that my goals would be a new websites, new processes and new materials. I quickly realized that marketing is one of the most ethereal and rapidly changing areas of business - new promotional programs are constantly being spun up, websites are in a perpetual state of revamp and brands are continually evolving. Over time I realized that marketing output is a poor legacy to aim for as a marketing leader.

Instead, I now focus on people. I firmly believe that the primary duty of any company leader is to create more leaders. This means hiring the best people, creating an environment for them to succeed, pushing them into challenging/high profile roles and generally getting out of their way. To me this is the best marketing legacy you can leave – a group of smart, passionate people who are set up for success at the company and beyond.

Knowing the legacy you want to leave is not an ego exercise. It is a way to establish your North Star. It will help guide you through the myriad of challenges that will inevitably pop up during your tenure at any company.

So what’s your Marketing Legacy going to be?