Leaving a Legacy
Most people think about legacy. They think about living on, making a lasting impression. They place it in buildings, programs, and offspring. But do they really know what a legacy is?
A legacy is something that carries on; something that continues on. It is something that goes beyond our time and makes a difference and an impact on the world in some way, shape, or form. Anybody can be a flash-in-the-pan, but it takes somebody with background and with depth to create a lasting legacy.
What does that have to do with business or being a leader?
It’s because the impact we want to make in this world…if you’re a small businessperson and you went into business because you want to make a difference, not just make a buck (although that’s nice too). If you are a leader, it’s because you want to make an impact in the lives of other people. You thought you could bring a team together and make great things happen. And those great things need to go beyond just you.
That’s what building a legacy is all about and that’s why it is critical for us to look to develop a legacy.
If you have seen the movie 42, it is about the integration of Major League Baseball. Branch Rickey, the General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, brought Jackie Robinson in as the first black man in Major League Baseball.Think about the difference that has had on the world! Today, baseball is fully integrated. Every year, on one day in April, every player on every team wears the number 42 to commemorate the impact of Jackie Robinson on this world. In fact, Jackie Robinson said it best:
[snaptweet]A life isn’t significant except for the impact that it has on others.[/snaptweet]
At the end of all of this, money is not going to be a legacy. Buildings aren’t going to be a legacy. Even heritage isn’t going to be a legacy.
[snaptweet]The real legacy you are going to leave is the lasting impact you have that goes well beyond the time that you are around.[/snaptweet]
Whether that is a team that continues to function and perform after you have left it; or the lives that you leave around after you have gone from this Earth.
John Maxwell said that at the end of your life people will summarize you life in one sentence. Pick it now!
Here’s some things you can do to look to leave a lasting legacy with other people:
- MODEL THE LIFE – Develop yourself to be a model for others. You can probably think of people whose lives have had an impact on you; who helped you become the person you are today or become more than the person you are today. You need to do the same thing for others; engaging in a life and engaging in behaviors that other people look at and want to model.
- SEEK TO MENTOR – Actively seek out others you can mentor and guide. Not everyone will be open to that, not everyone is going to be ready and willing to seek the help of a mentor. That’s part of the search process – actively seeking out and connecting with people who can mentor and bring along to help create your legacy.
- GIVE WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED – Pour yourself into the people you have chosen to mentor and mentor them with no conditions.