Workplace Multiplier by Tola Akinsulire

June 10, 2025

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A Father’s Day Story: Is Your Work Creating A Legacy or Just Paychecks? 

Howdy ,

Sunday is Father's Day.

Because of that, today's post is going to come out a little different from what you are used to.

To start up, I'd like to introduce you to a bit of my family history. To add the extra gravitas to it, I'll write it like I was playing with "King James English".

Pa Famegha begat Pa Akinsulire. Pa Akinsulire begat Pa Adebayo Akinsulire. Pa Adebayo Akinsulire begat Pa Adetola Akinsulire. Pa Adetola Akinsulire begat "Yours Truly", "Moi".

That's 5 generations of fathers in my family tree. The Akinsulire family name starts from my great-grandfather. Like his father, he was also the second son of his father.

I won't go into too much detail about him. But I'd like to bring you around a bit of his world of work.

He was a merchant and took advantage of opportunities that came with access to the waterways. His business took him across cities and brought him success.

Amongst his siblings, he became the wealthiest of them all. And the wealth was a benefit to the family. Some of the extended family members lived in the properties he owned. Not unusual for those times.

After he died, in addition to his children, a number of the servants who worked for him and lived in his family's house also took up the "Akinsulire" family name.

A simple case of how you can live your world of work well enough that it births a legacy for you in the other areas of your life.

The Legacy Blueprint

There was something in the story of my great-grandfather that we often miss today: work isn't just about what you accomplish during business hours. It's about the ripple effects that extend far beyond the workplace.

He created enough value, built such trust, and demonstrated such character that people were willing to carry his name forward. That's not just business success—that's life transformation.

I bet he probably made a few mistakes, and so he definitely was not perfect. Perfection is not the name of the game.

Fast forward through the generations. My grandfather and father continued the family name and all that it stands for.

Each generation learned that how you work is how you live. And how you live becomes the inheritance you leave behind.

What Legacy Are You Building?

As I reflect on Father's Day and the fathers who came before me, I'm struck by a simple truth: the way we approach our work today is writing the story our children and their children will tell about us.

Your daily choices at work—the integrity you show in small moments, the excellence you pursue when no one is watching, the service you provide to those you work with—these aren't just career moves. They're legacy moves.

My great-grandfather's servants didn't just take his name because they needed an identity. They took it because they were willing to be associated with what he represented.

Your Father's Day Challenge

Whether you're a father or not, today is a perfect day to ask yourself:

• What would people say about how I approach my work?
• If someone wanted to model their career after mine, what would they learn?
• Am I building something worth passing down, or just collecting paychecks?

My great-grandfather's story isn't just that he was successful. It's that his approach to work & life was compelling enough for others to choose his name as their legacy.

Carrying the Touch On

Today, as the fourth generation carrying this name, I think about the responsibility that comes with it. Every email I send, every team I lead, every client I serve is an opportunity to either honor or diminish what the name represents.

But here's the thing—you're building your own family standard, whether you realize it or not. Your children, your colleagues, your community are watching how you work. They're learning from your example what it means to show up with purpose.

Your Legacy Starts Now

On this Father's Day, I'm reminded that the greatest gift fathers give isn't just love or provision—it's an example of how to live with purpose and integrity.

My great-grandfather never could have imagined that more than 100+ years later, his great-grandson would be writing about him. But that's the power of living your work well—it echoes through generations.

Whatever your family tree looks like, whatever your current work situation is, you have the power to plant seeds that will grow long after you're gone.

Work like someone's watching—because they are. Your future self, your family, your legacy.

Make it count.

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers building legacies worth inheriting.

You can win at work and in life.

Tola Akinsulire

Your Strategic Workplace Mentor

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Want to get in on some of the lessons I have picked up in my career? Get my eBook "21 Lessons I Learned in My Career - A Primer to Help You Become Better at Work". Get it here

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