Facing Legacy As A Leader: What To Do With A Team Member Who Is Now Legacy
Planning your career is more than just working hard and getting promotions. Professionals who envision themselves leading divisions, even being in the C-suite, know that the day job is far more than execution (even really, really good execution). Emotional intelligence, strong communication and resilience all play a part. So does having a strong and responsive network, and allies and promoters in the workplace who want you to achieve. For most people who prioritise their career advancement, their manager will play an important role in that success. Ideally your manager is part ally and part coach, both supporting your advancement and advising on next steps. As we advance in our careers however, it becomes more and more likely that we will eventually report to a leader who has become legacy.
How to succeed at work when your manager is a legacy employee
When you are in a junior position, almost any manager can help you learn. Whether it’s perfecting technical skills like sales or coding, or learning to understand and reflect corporate culture, almost all advice is helpful. Fast forward 15-20 years into a career, and your team leader plays a very different role in your career. They might not even share the same technical skills or background. People management and office politics might be the expertise they are teaching you. Or they may no longer be in a position where they are teaching you much at all. At that point, it is likely that your boss is a legacy employee. They have value, they can do the job and do it well. But they may be less integral to the organisation than they once were. At this point, they may be planning for retirement or a consulting role or a very different opportunity elsewhere. What does this mean for your own advancement?
Promoter or problematic? Not all legacy employees are an obstacle to your career advancement. For example, if you are still a couple of levels below your manager, they can support promotions and pay increases and expanded responsibility, without any personal conflict. Others may even welcome your transition into their role, if they are, for example pre-retirement. Both scenarios, however, require a legacy manager who is aware their own advancement path has ended and content with that reality. So how to handle the ‘other’ situation?
Your future first. Your network and allies should always be fresh and expanding. So, your first solution should be in place long before you are in this situation: never rely on one person for complete success at anything. Your manager is an important and natural first line of supporters, but they should never be the only one. You should have other people in the organisation that recognise your potential and will advocate for you. This includes not only people senior to your but direct reports (you don’t always know who their own allies are!).
Second, don’t let your manager’s future get into your present state of mind. Continue to do the things that made you a high potential team member in their eyes. If their attitude or opinion seems to change, keep in mind that might very well be an emotional reaction to their own vulnerability. At the same time, do not be dismissive of their advice or opinions. For one thing, they still can provide a lot of wisdom and inside perspective: they are living the role you want for yourself. But more fundamentally, show empathy and generosity towards people who have supported you. The road to the C-suite is paved with opportunities to build relationships, have empathy and navigate difficult moments. This might be one of the first times you can show true top-level engagement.
Your boss is not your brand. Some of my clients have become such good team players that they sometimes lose a little of their own identity along the way. It’s not unlike a marriage, where one spouse becomes so wrapped up in the others’ success that they fail to value their individuality. No matter how close you are to your manager, they will have both good and bad qualities that you cannot mirror. If they are now a legacy member of the organisation, this could be a good opportunity to push yourself to differentiate yourself from them. That doesn’t mean be disparaging of what their flaws are; it does mean recogising the gaps in their contribution and emphasising your own. Were they better at strategy than detail? Did they communicate better in groups than one-on-one? Perhaps you can demonstrate your project management or mentorship talent.
Reporting to a leader that is now legacy is a disappointment, not doomsday.
Many people discover that their boss is no longer the asset to the organisation that they once were, and panic. Our own egos make us fear that people we like, or who like us, are us. If they are no longer valued by the company, than we no longer are. As I have written before, the reality is that organisations who are successful today are run by people who value and embrace constant change, frequently reposition to meet the current needs, and will adapt their talent supply to the latest opportunities. This means that the person who was perfect for a role five years ago might not be now—simply because the circumstances have changed. Be gracious and calm. One day it might happen to you. They’ll live. So will you.
In terms of my background and expertise, I have spent my entire career working as a trusted advisor to senior leaders wanting to improve the effectiveness of themselves, their teams and their companies. Prior to starting my own consulting firm, I led the global executive assessment and development team for Cisco. Earlier in my career I held leadership roles with RHR International, PepsiCo, Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School and the Central European University, Budapest, Hungary.
Dr Robert Kovach
PSYCHOLOGY. LEADERS & TEAMS.
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