INTRODUCTION: A VALUES-BASED JOURNEY

Values-based leadership is the journey of my life. It began during my career at Baxter International, a multibillion-dollar health care company where I spent 23 years, including 6 years as CEO. The next phase of my journey began 20 years ago, when I became a clinical professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

Teaching at Kellogg has led me to write three books, and now a fourth. In fact, the ideas for each of my books were generated by questions from my students. When they asked me what it takes to become a values-based leader, that discussion led to my first book, From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-Based Leadership, in which I discuss self-reflection, balance, true self-confidence, and genuine humility as being foundational to values-based leadership.

From values-based leadership the discussion moved to a values-based organization. That led to my second book, Becoming the Best: Build a World-Class Organization Through Values-Based Leadership. Then, right before the onset of the COVID pandemic-which, for many of us, led to both isolation and self-reflection about what matters most-a student asked me, "How do I live a values-based life?" The answer shaped my third book, Your 168: Finding Purpose and Satisfaction in a Values-Based Life.

After writing these three books, I thought I was finished with everything I had to say. Then Tricia Crisafulli, who has played a significant role in all three of my books, called me one evening and raised an interesting question: "Harry, how do you build a values-based legacy?" Our conversation led to this book, which you are about to read.

Initially, I expected to approach this book the way I had my first three: drawing from my teaching, the four principles, and experiences from my career and those shared by people I highly respect (many of whom are also guest speakers in my Kellogg leadership classes). As I soon found out, though, this book required a different approach. Instead of being the teacher, I became the student as I explored what it means to build a legacy. I reached out to people in my network who are doing important work to help others. They, in turn, introduced me to people in their networks, who also suggested others I should talk to. This process started with my own network, but quickly spiraled outward to many more people, including several I had never met before.

This also became the first lesson in building a values-based legacy: start where you are and with people you know and see where it leads you. Within your own network, community, and even your neighborhood, there are people and projects that are making a difference. You don't have to travel the world. You can start, literally, in your own backyard. The key word, though, is start.

Often when I speak to young professionals about legacy, they think about what they might do one day. They view it as something to put on a bucket list-when they're older and more established in their careers, after they've bought a house, after they've had children, after those children graduate from college, when they're ready to retire . in other words, it's something they'll do when they have more time and more money.

That's not how I view building a legacy. It's about the conscious choices you are making in your life right now. It may be a genuine commitment to show respect and kindness to others in your daily interactions with colleagues, friends, family members-or the next person you see at the coffee shop or the grocery store. You may become a dedicated volunteer with an organization in your community. You may spend a certain number of hours every week or month supporting a cause that reflects your values, your sense of purpose, and how and where you'd like to make a positive impact. In time, your vision may even become a calling. Your focus may be local or global. Whatever it is, it's all part of your legacy-on the journey we call life.

It's also important to understand what legacy is not. It has nothing to do with building your résumé. A legacy isn't about your image, your network, or your net worth. There's nothing for you to gain-except, of course, personal satisfaction. As I've heard countless times from the people interviewed for this book, as they gave of themselves-whether to a cause, a community, or an entire country-they were transformed. My good friend Stephen Isaacs, who supports and works with numerous philanthropic projects in Africa and elsewhere, said it best: "Working with people is a two-way street."

WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO?

It's a common question-and one you may be asking yourself right now. What can one person do? The answer is: more than you might ever imagine.

Yes, there are many problems and challenges in our world, and solving them is beyond the capability of any one person. But when one person joins with another and then another. . Soon there is a critical mass of people and resources that can, indeed, lead to positive change and make a significant impact.

Just ask Andrew Youn, cofounder of One Acre Fund, a former Kellogg MBA student (you'll read about him in Chapter 7), who went to Africa with a desire to help farmers grow enough to feed their families and improve their communities. Not knowing how to do that at first, he listened and learned. Today, One Acre Fund supports more than 4 million farm families, with a goal of 10 million families. (As with all my books, I donate my proceeds, along with speaking fees and honorariums, to One Acre Fund.)

One Acre Fund is expanding its reach across Africa, but there was a time when it was only Andrew and a few people, trying to make a difference. If Andrew hadn't had this desire and acted on it, One Acre Fund would not exist. This is the difference that even one person can make in the world.

This is the essence of what it means to step up to the challenges we see around us. It's understanding that we cannot wait for someone else to solve the problems. We each can and should do something-in other words, we are the ones to do what needs to be done. Even if we don't have ample financial resources, we can give our time and talent. There is always something to contribute to others, and no effort is too small or insignificant.

When Andrew and I talked about that, we found a metaphor in a surprising place-the fable of Stone Soup. This well-known story goes like this: One day hungry strangers arrive in a village with nothing but an empty pot. But the people of the town refuse to give them anything to eat. Undeterred, the travelers fill their pot with water and a large stone and start to "cook" it. One by one, the villagers come to investigate this "stone soup," which the strangers promise to share. To improve the taste, a villager offers a few carrots, another gives an onion. Others come with potatoes, cabbage, a little meat. . Soon, that pot of soup is bubbling with tasty ingredients-and the meal is shared by all. The fable of Stone Soup reminds us that even a small effort, multiplied many times over, becomes significant.

Another personal inspiration for me is the poem The Dash by Linda Ellis (visit her site, https://lindaellis.life/the-dash-poem to read it). It tells the story of a man who delivers a eulogy at a friend's funeral. Looking at his friend's tombstone, he notes the dates: when his friend was born and when he died. What mattered most, he says, is "the dash between those years." It's the same for all of us: Our "dash"-the time we have on Earth-contains the legacy we'll leave.

Compared to the hundreds of thousands of years of human history, let alone the billions of years of our planet, our individual lives last only the blink of an eye. We are here, then we are gone. The older I get, the more I know this to be true, as time seems to be accelerating. When I look back, it feels like only 10 or 20 years ago when I was a freshman at Lawrence University-but no, it was 50 years ago. How did time pass so quickly?

No matter where we are along our life path-whether still in school, just starting careers, or well into retirement-we can discover what it means to leave a legacy. This book is meant to inspire and guide you along that journey.

In Part One, Honoring Our Past, we explore our earliest influences, those who came before us and set an example. Parents, grandparents, teachers, community members, and others provided life lessons and helped shape our lives, our purpose, and our values-in other words, what matters most. That was the legacy they gave to us, which we can carry forward. Then, engaging in self-reflection-we look back on our past to see the influences of our connections, community, and choices. These 3Cs also draw our attention to philanthropic causes and charitable activities we engaged in, no matter how big or small, in our past. These are the seeds we can sow for a lasting legacy.

In Part Two, Celebrating Our Present, we explore the examples of people who are actively making a difference, locally and globally. We learn about the "significance of small" when making a difference in our local communities and "growing at the grassroots," where what we do locally (whether in our communities or halfway...