Good leaders produce results. Great leaders create a legacy.
Monday, 26 October 2026
What did you do? This is the question that has been lingering in my mind as I try to consolidate my experience leading the student women economic empowerment programme at the University of Cape Town (2026). In hindsight, I still don't think it was a coincidence that much of my undergraduate years were intentionally shaped by my involvement in different parts of the university's entrepreneurship & innovation ecosystem, and the greatest part of it all was that I had a mentor.
The prodigy-mentor conversation used to rush my brain like it does to anyone who buries themselves in the self-help universe like I did from my high-school years, until I realised that the self-help juice doesn't necessarily gear one for purposeful leadership. Instead, what it does - is steer one towards a checklist. the opposite of purposeful and accountable leadership. Although I must attribute my focus and investment in self-development to that. I mean, who has not been tempted to pick up Atomic Habits by James Clear and suddenly read to change their lives overnight? (Lol).
Mrs Nadia Waggie has role-modelled that for me. Purposeful and accountable leadership. A woman who blends transformational, servant and democratic leadership yet still keeps a laser-focused mission to always empower the next-generation of entrepreneurs towards fulfilling their greatest potential both commercially and purposefully. A true epitome of a great leader who has achieved results that have built a legacy.
Now, the moment you see captured above is a moment between a mentor and a protege. I now ceaselessly think about the impact of my involvement in anything that I do because I've come to learn that principles precede every leader. Even when they are not aligned with yours, you can always tell what a person values the moment you ask them about their achievements. In life, in school, their family or their job. The world has become a glamorous stage for everyone to title themselves a leader, but there are situations that always separate the wheat from the chaff... in simpler terms, the difference between a good leader and a great leader.
Thus, purposeful and accountable leadership must not evade our conquest for change because when it does, unchecked ambition takes over the driver's seat, and that unfortunately always creates organisations that are not led with heart. In my encounters with leaders in different industries, ambition and passion sit at the heart of every one of them, but as I mentioned at the beginning, I always search for the "What did you do?" in them as much as I do for myself. The answer to that question lets me know whether they are a good leader or a great leader.
So, here are my parting words and a question that you and I are going to ponder on this week. Jann E. Freed writes on their book Breadcrumb Legacy: How great leaders Live a life worth remembering (2023) : "Leaving happens in so many different ways every day. We leave relationships. Locations. Religious and political affiliations. In truth, we leave our legacy as breadcrumbs all of the time. Your legacy can guide your daily behaviours - big and small. If we start with the end in mind, we think about what we can do everyday to reach our desired end."
Question: What are you breadcrumbing today that will contribute towards your legacy?
Thanks.
UM Sithole
Sign up for my JustBrandzzing blog – marketing, culture, thought leadership and much more! Follow me on LinkedIn and let me know your thoughts on great leaders vs good leaders!
Email : Unathisthl88@gmail.com
Comments