Wola Joseph-Condotti 
There is a question I often ask myself as a leader: What will be left when I am no longer in the room?
Not the applause. Not the title. Not the urgent emails or daily metrics. But the systems. The people. The culture. The impact. That is legacy!
In the whirlwind of deadlines, growth targets, board meetings, and strategy decks, it is easy to become consumed by the now. And yet, leadership that is obsessed with the present but blind to the future builds castles on sand. True leadership plants trees whose shade it may never sit under.
The Illusion of the Temporary
Many leaders build as if they will always be in charge. They centralise power, hoard knowledge, and fail to mentor successors. Their reign is impressive, but their absence is catastrophic.
Legacy leaders think differently
They do not ask, “How do I look successful?”. They ask, “What will still stand when I am gone?” And they build accordingly.
They invest in people, not just projects. They create systems that outlive their supervision. They mentor not to be admired, but to multiply.
Succession is Not a Threat, It is a Trust
One of the most powerful forms of leadership is preparing others to lead. But ego often gets in the way. Some leaders are so focused on being the one that they forget they are part of a lineage. Leadership is not a solo act. It is a relay. And succession is the baton.
You do not fail when someone else rises after you. You fail when no one can.
Nehemiah: A Blueprint for Legacy
The story of Nehemiah in the Bible offers a powerful model. He rebuilt Jerusalem’s broken walls in just 52 days. A monumental feat. But he did not stop there. He set structures in place, assigned gatekeepers, documented genealogy, established spiritual reforms, and put leaders over the city.
He did not just build walls. He built people. And when he left, the city did not collapse. Because he did not make himself the centre. He made the vision sustainable.
That is what legacy leadership looks like.
Legacy is a Living System
To lead with legacy in mind, ask yourself:
Have I created systems that work when I am not in the room?
Are the people under my leadership growing or shrinking because of me?
Am I building a team that is dependent on my genius, or a culture that thrives on shared vision?
Legacy is not about having people speak your name forever. It is about building something worth speaking about.
It is about impact without supervision. Influence without control. Structures that free people, not shackle them.
The Seeds We Sow
Some of the most profound leaders I have encountered did not have the loudest voices or the longest titles. But they sowed into others. They opened doors. They remembered names. They made room at the table. And years after they left, their fingerprints were still on the work, not as monuments, but as momentum.
Whether you are a CEO, a department head, a team lead, or a visionary founder, your leadership should echo into generations.
Because the truth is: you will leave one day.
The only question is: what will you leave behind?
Final Thoughts
Legacy leadership is not about perfection. It is about intention.
It is about leading with the end in mind, not to exit early, but to ensure continuity. It is about understanding that your true measure is not what you build for yourself, but what you build for others and leave behind for those you may never meet.
So plant deeply. Build intentionally. Mentor generously. Because in the end, your greatest impact will not be what you do while you are here, but what endures after you are gone.
Wola Joseph-Condotti is the Group Managing Director/CEO of West Power & Gas Limited. A Harvard-trained lawyer and passionate advocate for faith-driven leadership, gender equity, and energy transition in Africa, she writes from the intersection of power, purpose, and personal growth.