Make the most of your nomination
Being nominated for the The Legacy of Leadership Award is the world saying: we see you. Here is how to turn that moment into a year that changes things.
Getting nominated is a big win. The long hours, the sacrifices, the risks you took when nobody was watching: someone noticed, and they said so.
Most people post about it once, enjoy a few kind messages, and then let the moment quietly fade. You do not have to. A nomination is one of the most powerful things you can hold: an independent stamp of approval that opens doors, wins trust and changes how people see you.
This guide breaks the next twelve months into twelve simple milestones. Each one tells you how it should feel, what it means in plain words, why it works, and three things to do. Take them one at a time. By the end of the year, this nomination will have become a story worth telling.
You earned this. Now let it work for you.
Four seasons of momentum
A nomination gives you an instant lift in credibility. Plan the year in four parts, so the momentum keeps building rather than fading.
Months 1 to 3
Make the most of the moment
The weeks after a nomination are when people are paying the most attention. Use them.
- Put the nominee title on every profile you have: LinkedIn, your bio, your website and your email signature.
- Tell the story behind it: the problem you solved, the people who helped and the difference it made.
- Get to know your fellow nominees. They are the strongest network you will be offered all year.
Months 4 to 6
Open the bigger doors
Now the nomination does the introducing for you.
- Pitch for speaking slots, panels and podcasts, with the nomination as your independent proof.
- Write up the work that earned it, as two or three articles or case studies.
- Add it to every pitch, proposal and sales deck you send.
Months 7 to 9
Turn recognition into opportunity
Recognition from outside carries weight inside.
- Bring it to your review: tie it to client trust, team results and the reputation of your organisation.
- Say yes to advisory roles, boards and committees that are now within reach.
- Share what you know with the people coming up behind you.
Months 10 to 12
Build the next chapter
Look back, give back, and aim higher.
- Count what the year brought: leads, stages, deals, promotions and people.
- Nominate someone who deserves it. It is the most generous thing you will do all year.
- Go for the next level: national honours, fellowships and the bigger stages.
One milestone a month
Each month: how it feels, what it means, why it works, and three things to do.
- Month1
Wear your nomination with pride
Relief, joy and a well earned sense of pride. You earned this. It is time to stop playing small.
Put your nomination where everyone can see it, straight away, so people know at a glance that you are the real thing.
What it is
The nominee title, and your badge, on your email signature, your LinkedIn profile and every bio you have.
Why it helps
It is an independent stamp of approval that speaks for you before you have even said hello.
What it means for you
You no longer have to convince people you are good at what you do. They believe it from the start.
Your three steps
- 1Add "Award Nominee" to your LinkedIn headline, your bio and your email signature.
- 2Write a heartfelt post that tells the real story: thank your team, be honest about what it took, and tag the awards.
- 3Send a short, personal thank you to three people who helped you get here.
- Month2
Make friends with your fellow nominees
Belonging. You are now in the company of the best in your field.
The other nominees are not your rivals. They are the best future partners, clients and friends you could ask for.
What it is
Reaching out, warmly, to the other nominees and to the judges.
Why it helps
You skip the awkward cold call and go straight to people who are already doing great things.
What it means for you
An inner circle of ambitious allies who share advice, recommend you, and send good work your way.
Your three steps
- 1Find the other nominees on LinkedIn and say: "Congratulations on your nomination. I really admire your work."
- 2Invite two or three of them to a 15 minute virtual coffee, simply to swap stories.
- 3Follow the judges and leave thoughtful comments on what they share.
- Month3
Share your secret recipe
Confidence and generosity. You are not only doing the work now; you are showing others how it is done.
Take the work that got you nominated, explain how you pulled it off, and give the lessons away freely.
What it is
A short write up or case study of how you solved a hard problem.
Why it helps
It shows your success was no accident. It was smart work that can be done again.
What it means for you
Clients and employers start coming to you and asking, "Could you do that for us?"
Your three steps
- 1Write down the three big steps: the problem, what you did, and the result.
- 2Turn it into a simple post: "Three lessons we learned on the way to an award nomination."
- 3Send it, personally, to past clients and colleagues who would find it useful.
- Month4
Step up to the microphone
Boldness. Your voice matters, and people want to hear what you have to say.
Use your nomination as your ticket onto podcasts and event stages.
What it is
Pitching yourself to podcast hosts and event organisers, with your nomination as your calling card.
Why it helps
Hosts are always looking for credible guests who make their shows look good.
What it means for you
You borrow other people's audiences and multiply your visibility, without spending a penny on adverts.
Your three steps
- 1Pick five podcasts or local business groups you already enjoy.
- 2Send each host a friendly note offering two topics you could speak on, and mention your nomination.
- 3Record a 60 second video sharing one great tip, and post it.
- Month5
Win bigger work with less effort
Quiet commercial confidence. You are no longer the cheap option; you are the trusted choice.
Put your nomination at the front of your pitches, quotes and proposals, and remove the doubt.
What it is
The nomination, clearly placed in your sales decks, proposals and portfolio.
Why it helps
It reassures a nervous buyer that choosing you is a safe, smart decision.
What it means for you
You win work faster, haggle less over price, and can charge what you are worth.
Your three steps
- 1Add a section to your proposals called "Recognised for excellence", with your nomination.
- 2Get back in touch with old leads: "I thought of your project while celebrating our nomination. It would be great to catch up."
- 3Quote your full price, with confidence, and resist the urge to discount it first.
- Month6
Let it count at work
Self-worth. Walking into a meeting knowing your value has been proven by people outside it.
Take your recognition to your manager, your partners or your investors, and turn it into better pay, a better title or more freedom.
What it is
A one page summary of the attention your nomination brought to your organisation.
Why it helps
It links your personal win directly to the company's reputation, its results and its morale.
What it means for you
You discuss pay, promotion and budgets from a position of real strength.
Your three steps
- 1List what the nomination did for the organisation: press, happy clients, new enquiries.
- 2Book a mid-year conversation with the people who make the decisions.
- 3Ask, clearly, for the promotion, pay rise or role you have earned.
- Month7
Lift your team with you
Warmth and fulfilment. Real leaders do not just climb the ladder; they hold it steady for others.
Share the spotlight with the people around you, and show them how to reach this level too.
What it is
A team celebration or workshop that shines a light on everyone who contributed.
Why it helps
It shows you are not a lone star taking the credit, but a leader who builds winning teams.
What it means for you
Deep loyalty from your team, and a reputation as someone everyone wants to work with.
Your three steps
- 1Host a relaxed team lunch: "How we built award-nominated work, and how you can do it next."
- 2Thank the people who helped behind the scenes, by name and in public.
- 3Turn the best of what you did into simple checklists anyone on the team can use.
- Month8
Take a seat at the bigger table
Respect. Being invited into the rooms where decisions are made.
Step up from the day to day to advising businesses, serving on boards and mentoring others.
What it is
Putting yourself forward for advisory roles, trustee positions and industry committees.
Why it helps
Organisations actively look for recognised people to strengthen their boards.
What it means for you
Advisory fees, a stake in what you help build, and real influence over where your industry goes.
Your three steps
- 1Update your bio: "Advising organisations on [your speciality] | Award Nominee".
- 2Offer your help to two local charities, trade bodies or start-up programmes.
- 3Go to a leadership round table in your region.
- Month9
Say what you really think
Courage. You have earned your stripes. Now say what others are afraid to.
Share your honest view on what is broken in your industry, and how to fix it.
What it is
A bold, honest article or talk that challenges the received wisdom in your field.
Why it helps
People tune out safe opinions. They listen to experienced people who tell the truth.
What it means for you
You go from "very good at the job" to the person people quote and follow.
Your three steps
- 1Pick one piece of common advice in your industry that you know is wrong or out of date.
- 2Write it plainly: "Why everyone is wrong about [topic], and what to do instead."
- 3Back it up with real examples from your own work.
- Month10
Shine your light on someone else
Deep gratitude. You have enough light now to share it.
Nominate a colleague, a client or a rising star for an award.
What it is
A thoughtful nomination for someone brilliant you work with.
Why it helps
It marks you out as someone who spots talent and helps it grow.
What it means for you
Lifelong loyalty from the people you lift up, and a name as the connector everyone values.
Your three steps
- 1Choose one standout team member and one great client who deserve recognition.
- 2Find an award that fits and write them a heartfelt nomination.
- 3Tell them quietly: "I believe in your work, so I nominated you."
- Month11
Count your wins
Clarity and peace of mind. Seeing, in black and white, that it was all worth it.
Look back at the year, see what came in because of your nomination, and let go of what did not work.
What it is
A simple record of the new clients, promotions, stages and contacts the year brought.
Why it helps
Facts instead of guesswork about where your best results come from.
What it means for you
You know exactly where to put your energy next year for even greater impact.
Your three steps
- 1Write down: new clients won, extra income earned, stages and podcasts done, and the people you met.
- 2Work out the difference the recognition made over the year.
- 3Choose the two things that gave you the most, and plan to do more of them.
- Month12
Step into the next league
Excitement and hunger. You have mastered this level. It is time for a bigger stage.
Take everything you achieved this year and use it to go for national awards, bigger stages and new ventures.
What it is
A portfolio of the whole year's achievements, ready for the next level of awards and opportunities.
Why it helps
You are no longer putting forward one piece of work, but a whole year of leadership and momentum.
What it means for you
A lasting step up in your profession, opening doors that stay open for the rest of your career.
Your three steps
- 1Gather the year's talks, articles and results into one clean portfolio.
- 2Put yourself forward for a national or international award in your field.
- 3Raise a glass with the people who walked this year with you, and toast the next chapter.
This is your year. Make it count.
Start with Month 1 today: put your nomination where people can see it, and thank the people who helped you get here. Then keep your nomination looking its best, with your photo, your story and a short video for the judges.