Building Men’s Character and Legacy with Jim Tracy

Guest Jim Tracy—a father, grandfather, entrepreneur, and author of Building Men: Character Lessons from Influencers- opens up about his journey in fatherhood, the importance of character traits, and the legacy we leave as dads. Tune in for a heartwarming, insightful conversation about the power of leading by example and the ways we can all strive to “just do the right thing”—in parenting, in work, and in life.

In this episode, you will be able to:

1. Embrace the idea of legacy in fatherhood—understand why your daily actions matter for building a lasting impact.
2. Identify and nurture key character traits—learn about practical character lessons from Jim Tracy’s book.
3. Be a more present, intentional parent—get tips on spending meaningful time and setting the right example for your kids.
4. Start strong as a dad, even without role models—find encouragement and guidance if you’re building your own parenting foundation.
5. Improve your listening skills—discover why “generous listening” is crucial for deep family connections and positive influence.

When I sat down with Jim Tracy for the latest episode of Great Dad Talks, I knew we’d be diving deep into topics that matter to all of us trying to do fatherhood the right way. Jim brings not only the wisdom of raising five kids (with more than a dozen grandkids!) but also a thoughtful, intentional approach to what it means to develop character—not just for ourselves, but for the next generations.

Below, I’ve gathered some of the most powerful insights from our conversation, including Jim’s personal stories and advice for dads at every stage.

Beginning with Legacy

One of the recurring themes in our conversation was legacy—not just the kind we leave behind in the distant future, but the legacy we live every day, through our actions and choices. As Jim puts it, “the legacy you leave is the legacy you live because people are watching it.” This hit home for me. So much of what we pass on isn’t what we say, but how we behave—how we model character traits for our kids and for anyone watching.

Jim summed it up beautifully: “If you look at the book, the reason I told it and you talked about anecdotes, these are just a collection of stories about people who modeled things for me.”

Where Character Comes From

For Jim, character wasn’t shaped just by one person, but by a web of influences:

• Family: Grandparents, siblings, and, more recently, his own children and grandchildren
• Business mentors: Individuals like Leroy Lundell, who “built a phenomenal business, but they did it on character traits that, were very specific and built confidence in me.”
• Faith and community: “There’s a chapter on pastors in there, because…at about 28, I got there and it irrevocably changed my life.”

When I asked Jim whether all twenty character traits in his book could really be pursued at once, he laughed and said, “I’m an overnight success after sixty-six years.” In other words: we’re all works in progress, and that’s OK.

What If You’re Starting From Scratch?

A lot of dads grew up without strong role models. I asked Jim what someone in that situation can do when they realize they want to raise their kids with stronger values.

His advice:

• Lead with love and sacrifice: “If you would look at the greatest example of a father, you got a father in heaven who loves you and sacrifices for you. So if you start with that…”
• Focus on quantity time over ‘quality time’: “If you want to be a great dad, don’t try and go assemble ten minutes of quality time without putting in ten hours of quantity time… it comes in slivers and moments and pieces where your children learn from you and to enjoy you and to not be, you know, not be afraid of you.”
• Embrace being a work in progress: “It’s all trial and error, man. There’s not a lot of books you can read to say, ‘Hey, here’s the path.’”
• Find a mantra or guiding principle: For Jim and his son, it was “just do the right thing”—a surprisingly steadying influence, especially when life gets tough.

Practical Tips for Living Out Character and Values

Jim’s book, Building Men: Character Lessons from Influencers, is packed with stories, but in our talk, he offered some real, actionable advice for any dad:

Be a Generous Listener

Jim shared that “if we are generous listeners… people will learn that we care. By generous listening, I mean listen with your eyes, listen with your ears, close your mouth, put your phone down, and listen for what people are actually trying to—the message they’re trying to convey to you.”

Make Others More Important Than Yourself

This principle, Jim said, covers nearly every value: “If you make other people more important than yourself, every value would fall in that category. Everyone.” Whether it’s generosity, kindness, trust, or empathy, it’s about putting others first—especially your kids.

Involve Your Kids in Your Real Life

Many parents struggle to find time with their children. Jim offered practical examples from his own family—adult children who bring their kids along on cleaning jobs or DoorDash runs—demonstrating that you can show your children hard work, sacrifice, and love no matter your situation.

Advice for Dads, No Matter Their Circumstances

Not everyone has the luxury of stepping away from work to coach swim meets or start a family business, like Jim did. But there are always ways to make your kids feel seen, valued, and included:

Key suggestions:

• Do your best with what you have—“Try to do the best you can with what you’ve got.”
• Engage your children wherever you are: “You have to make a choice that you want to engage your children, not only where they are, but where you are.”
• Recognize you don’t need to be perfect: “Nobody ever, was born into this world and decided, hey. I have become the perfect parent because I’m a human. Like, it’s all trial and error, man.”

Closing Thoughts

Parenthood isn’t about reaching perfection; it’s about showing up, being present, staying open to growth, and living out the values we hope to pass on. Sometimes that means pausing to reflect, sometimes it’s about pushing through tough times, and sometimes it’s just about listening.

This conversation with Jim Tracy was a great reminder that our “legacy” isn’t only what we leave when we’re gone—it’s what we live every day, right now.

You can check out Jim’s book, Building Men: Character Lessons from Influencers, and look for his podcast, The Grampian, for more wisdom. And remember, if you’re looking for practical ways to build gratitude into your family’s habits, check out my free course at greatdad.com/go.

Until next time, keep doing the right thing—one day at a time.