Your Voice Is Killing Your Legacy
For founders worried about legacy, silence is a strategic tool. Jonathan Parker discusses "Sacrificial Conversation" and building a business that outlasts the owner.
You have one shot to sell your business. Or one shot to hand it to your daughter. But right now, you are the hero of every story.
That is a problem for your valuation.
If the business cannot function without your constant input, it is not an asset. It is a job.
To create a legacy, you must move from being the center of the conversation to being the guide of the conversation. This requires a sacrificial approach. You have to sacrifice your need to be right, your need to be first, and your need to be the smartest person in the room.
When you lead by being bold in your interactions but sacrificial in your speech, you give your team permission to grow. You move from a "Leadership Gap" to a "Leadership Culture."
The "Last to Speak" Exercise: For the next week, commit to being the absolute last person to speak in every meeting.
- Do not set the agenda.
- Do not offer the opening "vision."
- Simply listen to every person in the room.
You will find that your team is much more capable than you thought. They just needed you to get out of the way. If you can’t stay silent for thirty minutes, you aren't ready to exit.
Is your business built on your voice, or is it built on your team's ability to act without it?
Onward,
Jonathan