As original founders, the most crucial factor in the generational growth of your business is not how you run it, but what happens when you no longer can.
This is especially true for those of us with brands steeped in humanity and built from original genius.
And it raises some very profound and pressing questions.
What will happen to your heritage story over time?
How do you lock it down to preserve your brand identity?
How do you ensure your essence doesn’t get lost without you?
What is really going to happen here?
For many of us, the next 5-10 years will provide the answer to whether we are ready or not.
Without the correct elements in place, the succession of your genius is at risk.
And when the genius of the founder is lost, the company becomes internally diluted and externally commoditized.
Either this or another person becomes the anchoring face of your company, forcing the brand to shift to embody the genius of the new founder.
This isn’t ideal either, as it leads to a brand identity crisis.
And no company, especially the most prolific ones, is safe from the succession of genius.
The Atrophy Of Apple’s Original Genius
For example, we can look to Apple, the world’s largest tech company by current global market cap.
Despite their current standing, it is clear that the core of Apple’s philosophy to “Think Different” has slowly waned since the passing of former CEO Steve Jobs in 2011, with many proposing that the innovative giant has lost its edge.
Under Jobs and Wozniak, Apple stood as a bastion of simplicity, beauty, and innovation in the tech world, embodying a vivid and value-driven brand identity.
Steve Jobs carried the philosophical perspective of beauty in detail, whereas Wozniak carried the perspective of simplicity in every facet of design. More pragmatically, Jobs wanted the motherboard to be beautiful, even though he knew no one would see it, and Steve Wozniak wanted it to be elegant at the same time.
When you push those two philosophical perspectives together, you get an Apple computer.
However, some might question if that same duality of original genius and the priority for beauty and elegance is still held ahead of a priority for profit. It’s also true that over time, the echoes of Jobs’ genius have become fainter as competition and innovation has risen around them.
Just this year alone, this can be seen in the recent launch of the iPhone 16 on September 20th, which failed to excite investors with many long-awaited AI features still in test mode. It sold just 9.8 million units, a 27% decrease over the iPhone 15 the year before.
On a grander scale, the loss of the original genius that Steve Jobs brought to the company has left Apple with a void that no revenue milestone can mend.
As former Apple engineer Bob Burrow put it to CNBC, “The dynamic has clearly and distinctly changed.”
What Could This Mean For You?
While Apple is a clear case of what can happen when it comes to the succession of genius, it’s a reminder that if it can happen to Apple, it can potentially happen to any of us.
Therefore, it’s more important than ever to have a concrete process to perpetuate your genius.
Plans that go far beyond values or a mission statement.
Plans that clearly and resonantly distill your genius into a system that’s both emotionally compelling and logically sound.
Plans that your successors can faithfully and fearlessly embody to give the future the best of them without losing the best of you.
To ensure that your influence does not diminish and your legacy is not left behind.
To ensure that your employees can maintain your message and magnify your magic.
To ensure that your brand lives on and irrevocably transforms the world for generations to come.
The Solution: The Models Method
For original founders looking to holistically codify their genius and preserve their legacy, change needs to happen at the base level.
In how we think about what we do, who we do it for, and why, as well as how we communicate these thoughts to others who will benefit from our wisdom.
This is where Visual Models shine.
For nearly three decades now, from non-profits and startups to SMEs and Fortune 500s, the ability to capture and communicate original genius has been instrumental to both exponential growth and global sustainability.
And nothing is more potent as a preservative force for your legacy—as an antidote to the otherwise inevitable atrophy that comes with the collapse of original genius.
The ability to codify what only you can do.
Not just the way you think or act but the ineffable magic behind how you move people and organizational objectives forward.
So here and now, understand that the clock is ticking.
And time is counting down the days to when the succession of your genius becomes not just an idea to be considered but a reality to contend with.
And here and now, understand that this moment is the best one to act.
To protect your legacy
To preserve your genius
To empower your empire
And ensure that you and your team are ready on the coming day when you must pass on the torch.
Emboldened in the truth that through your legacy and the lives of those in your wake, your original genius will light the way for millions.
Want to learn more about how I can help you capture your innate gifts and safeguard your original genius?
Join my weekly newsletter to discover more about my Models Method or apply to work with me so we can show you how to turn your inimitable voice, vision, and value(s) into a vessel for indomitable impact.
