Inspired by See Things as They Can Be, Not as They Are by Dave Westphal
Great leaders do not gauge success by how much authority they have, but by how well they equip others to continue carrying the torch. In his book See Things as They Can Be, Not as They Are, Dave Westphal looks back on decades of farming, international agribusiness, and leadership and demonstrates how the greatest legacy a leader can leave is a team that succeeds long after they are gone.
Among the rules Westphal kept coming back to is that vision is crucial. On the farm, it was seeing beyond the day-to-day activities, feeding pigs, corn harvest, or fixing equipment, to comprehend how each piece fit into the larger picture of profitability and sustainability. In his later work as head of international companies, his vision was seeing opportunities in new markets, adjusting strategies to new cultures, and always seeing beyond current obstacles.
When leaders speak with a clear vision, they provide their team with more than instruction, both direction and inspiration. A vision motivates individuals to work not only for the task at hand but for opportunity tomorrow.
In each chapter of his life, Westphal stresses the value of people development. On the farm, his dad ensured that every child had a job, teaching responsibility and confidence. In business, he did the same: give people ownership, guide them through failure, and trust them to grow.
This philosophy has a deep ripple effect. When the leader focuses on growth, they develop spaces where people build confidence to make decisions and innovate. With time, the team’s combined strength transcends the leader’s personal capabilities. That is when real leadership reveals itself, not in how well the leader succeeds, but how empowered the team becomes.
One of the toughest things for many leaders is knowing when to step aside. Westphal refers to how, in overseas ventures, he was successful when he built local leadership teams and recognized when to delegate to them. By putting trust in local skills to move the business forward, he made the work sustainable and meaningful in a manner that he alone could not manage.
Letting go is not losing control; it is amplifying it. Leaders who refuse to give responsibility away are likely to hinder the development of their teams. Those who develop others for leadership tend to see their vision more fully expressed than they could have envisioned.
Developing a team to outgrow you is not random. It requires intention and persistence. Westphal’s teachings imply several important practices:
1. Cast a vision larger than yourself. Not just what, but why.
2. Invest in the development of people. Foster learning, mentoring, and doing.
3. Empower local voices. No matter the context, farm, company, or global operation, trust the people who are closest to the work.
4. Know when to let go. It frees up others to rise.
Leadership is not indispensable. It is readiness to leave others to move the vision ahead with strength and ability. Remembering what Westphal says, when leaders are not only able to see things as they are but also as they might be, they release others to their highest potential. And when teams surpass their leaders, the real legacy of the leader starts.