What I learned from Peter Legge (1942 – 2026)

Rick Goossen founded the Entrepreneurial Leaders Organization and now chairs the ELO Group. The network will hold its annual ELO Forum at Paradox Hotel Vancouver November 4.

He wrote this appreciation of Peter Legge, who passed away last week.

Peter Legge, the renowned public speaker, entrepreneur and philanthropist, based in Vancouver, will be remembered for the many things related to his public persona – and likely not as much for what he did apart from the spotlight.

I met Peter for breakfast on many occasions. One of his many books was one titled Lunch with Joe: Collected Lessons & Wisdom from Business Legend Joe Segal. I joked with Peter that I should write a book titled, ‘Breakfast With Peter!’

Here are things I learned from Peter, not by his words, but by his actions.

1. He was a genuinely decent man, always concerned with acting carefully and doing the right thing. His integrity was core to his being. You felt better being around him. 
2. He always maintained his trademark sense of humour. Whether in conversation or when he was interacting with restaurant staff, he was always unfailingly polite. 
3. He wanted to be someone who was not merely a speaker about business or success, but someone who actually walked the talk. He was proud of his track record in business, including many years of profitability with Canada Wide Media Ltd., the largest independently owned magazine publishing company in Western Canada. He wasn’t just talking about it – he did it. 
4. He was a ‘family man.’ He was proud of his wife and kids and referred to them regularly in conversations. He also held his father, Bernie, in great esteem as a role model. You could tell by the way he lit up that family meant everything to him. 
5. He paid close attention to detail when it related to his public presentations. He was part of our ELO Oxford Leadership Program, during which we toured Magdalen College, where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien walked the hallowed cloisters. Tolkien had a profound influence on Lewis and helped lead him on the path to Christianity. This happened on Addison’s Walk, a path at the back of the college. I still remember Peter peppering me with detailed questions; he wanted to get the details correct for use in a future presentation. 
6. His Christian faith was at the core of his personal operating system. He talked regularly about his Christian faith, his Young Life camp experiences, his involvement at church and doing occasional sermons – but he was careful about not having it be a barrier to relationships. He took a winsome approach.  
7. Though he was great at public speaking – he continued to work at his craft. He combined natural gifting with a lifetime of learning. This was what put him at the pinnacle of the speaking profession. 
8. He was generous with his support through time, energy and influence with causes and people that were important to him. He spoke at our ELO Forums in both Winnipeg and Vancouver and did podcasts over the years. He did far more for us than we could do for him. 
9. He finished strong. Not everyone does. He was doing public presentations, staying committed to important causes and having an impact up until his late 70s and early 80s. 
10. Despite being a public speaker, he was a great listener. He channeled his inner Dale Carnegie. Peter knew how to engage in conversation and be interested in others. He was the centre of attention on the podium, but not off it. 
11. He was willing to provide his personal stamp of approval. I wrote a book titled, Public Speaking Laws of Success: For Everyone and Every Occasion. Peter provided an endorsement which in part read: “I wish this book was published years ago – it would have improved my public speaking abilities a lot faster because it is packed with stories and advice.” I think he was stretching things, but he wanted to be helpful.

In the realm of public speaking, Peter was a master with few equals. We have held annual ELO Forums across Canada for 21 years with over 100 top speakers – he was one of two speakers to ever get a spontaneous standing ovation. He could tell a story and make an emotional connection with his audience that was spellbinding.

In 2016, ELO presented him with the Entrepreneurial Leaders Award. Past recipients included John C. Maxwell (leadership expert), Mark Burnett and Roma Downey (#1 Hollywood TV producers), Bobby Gruenewald (founder, YouVersion Bible App, with over one billion downloads) and Lord Robert Edmiston (UK billionaire). 

The criteria for a suitable recipient include the following: exemplifies the qualities of entrepreneurial leadership that are embedded in a Christian worldview; international stature with significant influence; long-term influence in their chosen profession, whether directly or indirectly related to Christian ministry; success in business based on a thorough assessment of financial performance, strategic direction and product or service innovation; community involvement, whether church, para-church or philanthropic activities; outstanding reputation for integrity in terms of living out faith; and the person must be a role model to inspire other entrepreneurs to others to greater heights of significance. Peter Legge was a worthy recipient of the Award.

Peter Legge was a great man from whom I learned much – he will be sorely missed.

Richard (Rick) J. Goossen chairs the ELO Group, which serves over 100 clients per year, maintains an active network of 10,000 business leaders and provides online resources annually for over 400,000 leaders.

He founded the annual ELO Forums in 2005. ELO has had had over 100 of the world’s top speakers, having attracted over 15,000 attendees since inception. They are held regularly in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Toronto, Hong Kong and Singapore. He is also founder and lead instructor in the ELO Oxford Leadership Program.

Goossen has edited five books and authored 10 books related to entrepreneurship.

This comment is also posted on the ELO website.