Most chief executives are failing to use their influence and power to put in place a lasting legacy when they leave their jobs, according to a leadership advisor.

Niamh O’Keeffe, who runs global leadership consultancy CEOassist, says that by not creating a meaningful legacy during their time in charge of some of the biggest organisations in the UK and globally, they are missing a “massive opportunity” to be the best possible leader and to contribute towards solving world problems.

O’Keeffe says there are only a handful of CEOs who understood the importance of leaving a legacy, with Virgin boss Richard Branson probably the highest profile, in particular for committing to invest $1bn (£0.62bn) in developing alternative fuels.

O’Keeffe adds: “Becoming a CEO often means achieving a lifetime’s ambition and the reality is that for most this is the moment they will be at their most powerful and influential. For some CEOs, it could even be their last job at the end of a successful career.

“We hear a lot from organisations about the importance of putting in place corporate social responsibility policies, which are fine up to a point.

“Creating a world leadership legacy is about something much more long term, and really leveraging the power and influence of an organisation and the individual at the top to bring about change for the better within a particular country or globally.”