Comment by awinter-py

It's not everyone, but thoughtful managers do think beyond themselves.

They know they will outlast some of their reports, so they're incentivized to build memory and maintainability at the levels below them.

And good managers get promoted, i.e. leave the team but stay in the company, so there's a reputational incentive to leave things in a good place for whoever comes after you. (Though this is only true at good orgs -- at bad orgs, the next person will get fully blamed for a bad handoff).

The best leaders have values that transcend their bank account, and understand their legacy depends on being able to transition effectively.

Your career and relationships transcend any single gig, and there is a dignity that people recognize in departing well, and even in making the best of a bad job. Campground rule, leave things better than you found them.