It doesn’t have to be this way. Organizations can develop ways
to capture the experiences and insights of their employees. Even
though a great deal of what we call legacy is embodied in the sin-
gular spin and style of the individual or team, the organization can
absorb this as part of its culture.
Organizational Perks
When individuals build and leave legacies, the most obvious pay-
off is for the organization. By encouraging the process of building
and leaving a legacy, the store of individual talent that exists within
every corporation is activated in a practical way. As people join
together to reflect on and discuss issues, an essential foundation is
formed for building current depth and assuring future intellectual
assets.
Learning grows when the organization uses more of what peo-
ple know. As more individuals gain greater knowledge, the organi-
zation continually absorbs the learning. This affects policies and
practices that have an impact on the whole.
The corporate world has a tendency to overlook the important
brain trust on which organizations have become dependent. The
organization that does not begin to cull and disseminate its intel-
lectual capital will miss out on an important and valuable oppor-
tunity with long-range implications: the opportunity to capture
legacy.
Personal Perks
Beyond the organization’s needs, there are enormous personal ben-
efits to be gained by those who can transform learning into legacy.
The process of building the asset of wisdom is in itself challenging
and gratifying. The act of disseminating it to build a legacy for the
next generation rewards individuals with a perception of greater
self-worth.
When people feel needed, their sense of purpose changes. They
are no longer working simply for the paycheck but because they
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