Leaving a Legacy

How would you rate your service? Not your customer service, but rather your life of service.

Service to others.

I’ll pass on sharing my own ranking, but suffice it to say, it could use some improvement.

Especially when compared to Jon Huntsman Jr.

Many of you know Jon from any number of his roles in life. Perhaps you recall him as a:

  • White House Advisor
  • U.S. Ambassador to Singapore
  • U.S. Special Trade Representative
  • Two-term Utah Governor
  • U.S. Ambassador to China
  • U.S. Ambassador to Russia
  • 2012 Republican primary candidate for U.S. President

Or maybe you know him as a member of the board of directors for Chevron and the Ford Motor Company.

Or as the Chairman of the World Trade Center.

Or his work with his family’s many philanthropies including the world-renowned Huntsman Cancer Institute.

Feeling a bit intimidated? Yeah, me too. Would it help to know Jon has served in six presidential administrations? On both sides of the aisle? No? Sorry.

I’ve chosen not to try to compete with Jon’s record of service. Or perhaps better described as a literal career of service.

But you and I can likely up our game. Jon has the same number of hours you and I do in each day. He perhaps just leverages them a bit better.

Jon inspires us to not just serve our world, or nation, or state, but even closer to home by serving our communities, neighborhoods, and extended families.

Maybe you’re not sitting in front of Congress this week being vetted as the next Ambassador to Finland (I’d choose Italy...), but what could you do if you carved out an extra hour from your Netflix marathon to serve? I don’t think you need any recommendations from me—you know best your talents and passions.

Are you putting them to work for others? Like Jon would?

FranklinCovey’s co-founder Dr. Stephen R. Covey called it “Leaving a legacy.”

What’s yours? Your legacy of service—to others.

About the Author

Scott Miller

Scott Miller is a 25-year associate of FranklinCovey and serves as Senior Advisor, Thought Leadership. Scott hosts the world’s largest and fastest-growing podcast/newsletter devoted to leadership development, On Leadership. Additionally, Scott is the author of the multi-week Amazon #1 New Releases, Master Mentors: 30 Transformative Insights From Our Greatest Minds, Management Mess to Leadership Success: 30 Challenges to Become the Leader You Would Follow, and the Wall Street Journal bestseller, Everyone Deserves a Great Manager: The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife and three sons.

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