Pearls from Peter Legge

A full two years after his 2015 visit, Canada Wide Media’s CEO, Peter Legge, spoke to Cranbrook chamber members

by Marie Milner — October 24, 2017

Peter Legge (L), prolific author and chairman and CEO of Canada Wide Media, is pictured here with Chris Botterill, president of the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce. — Marie Milner photo

Want the key to the corner office? Be a great listener, work hard and work smart.

That was part of the message delivered to members of the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce by Peter Legge on October 18, 2017. Legge is the chairman and CEO of Canada Wide Media, and he spoke at the chamber’s October member luncheon. He said that in spite of the efficiencies created by today’s technology and the speed at which information can be shared, success is still earned through intelligent hard work.

“We’re here to serve the needs of our clients,” Legge said. His formula for developing satisfied customers is simple: listen to what their needs are and give them what they need. Then repeat.

Chris Botterill, president of the Cranbrook chamber, asked Legge a few of his own questions along with several from the audience. Here are some highlights from Legge's responses.

➧ About 700 magazine publishers attending a recent international conference in London, England, all looking to grow and improve their business, can attest to the continued strength of print media. Digital media adds another option for both publisher and client.

➧ In general, people have five or six careers over a span of about 45 to 50 years in the workforce. That may sound like a long time when you’re 22, but the time goes by quickly and you can’t reclaim it. His advice to today’s youth has two parts: find the thing that you really love to do and find a way to have it fulfill a need in the world. Then pursue that, giving it 100 per cent of your effort.

➧ Appropriate skills for the job are an obvious requirement among job seekers, but there’s another element that is at least as important. That element is character—the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual, according to Google Dictionary. Character appropriate for the position and the company may not be as easily found, but it’s worth seeking. According to Legge, “You have to interview a lot of stones to find a diamond.”

➧ On giving back to the community: Muhammad Ali said that giving back to the community is the price we pay for living in this world. We’re here to help other people.

Legge is also inspired by his own father’s example in this regard. When Legge senior moved his family from England to New Westminster, he knew no-one there and decided that he would get involved with community organizations. Over the years he served as president for every organization that he joined.

“When my father passed away at 85,” Legge said, “a thousand people came to his funeral to say thank you for what he’d done for the community. That’s why it’s so important to me to give back.”

Much of Legge’s accumulated wisdom is collected in the 20 books he has written. The Power of Tenacity is his most recent book.