“If you are going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can’t be erased.”
Steve Saint
Legacy. It’s the impact you leave on the world for those that come after you.
Each and every one of us has been formed and shaped by the legacies left by other people. Our parents, coaches, bosses, and mentors have left indelible marks on our personalities, passions, and character. Much of who we become is in response to the legacies left by those who walked before us.
According to Jim Rohn, leaving a legacy is part of our world and culture’s natural order. He explains that “those who came before leave us the world we live in. Those who come after will have only what we leave them.”
We each leave a mark on the world; on our relationships and the organizations we are a part of. It is up to us to decide whether that impact will be large or small, good or bad. In other words, it is the responsibility of each person, but in a particular way, those in positions of power, leadership, or influence, to carefully consider the legacy they will leave behind.
There are many ways to leave a legacy. For some individuals or organizations, their legacy is one of philanthropic or financial value.
For example, Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, and his wife Melinda, decided to use their enormous wealth to address critical global problems, such as infectious disease and access to education for impoverished youth Today, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest private foundation in the world. and their legacy will continue, long after they are gone.
You’ve probably heard of Oprah Winfrey? In addition to being a world renowned talk show host, author and actress, The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls has been changing lives of young girls in South Africa since she opened the school in 2007.
Oprah’s primary goal in starting her school is to “support the development of a new generation of dynamic women leaders.” She is leaving a legacy of values that has changed the lives of the girls who have attended her school, and consequently had positive ripple effects on the organizations and communities her graduates have joined.
Legacies are not simply left at an individual level but can also exist at an organizational level. Businesses and non-profits must ask the same important questions: What is your legacy? What impact will you make on the community?
The Green Bay Packers have created a legacy unlike any other NFL team.
Instead of being owned by an individual or group of partners, The Green Bay Packers are a publicly owned non-profit organization. The Packers are owned by their fans. In making the decision to be publicly owned, The Green Bay Packers have garnered a deeply loyal fan base and formed a covenant with their home city.
Each of these examples of legacies left by incredible individuals and organizations have an important common denominator: strategic planning.
A legacy never happens by accident. Oprah didn’t start her school on a whim and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation didn’t happen overnight. These legacies took planning and intentionality.
So, let me ask, what is your legacy? Have you considered the impact you are making on the lives of those around you? In order to leave a legacy, you’ve got to plan for your legacy.
Are you ready to plan for your organizational legacy? Are you lacking the tools to get started?
Join me at my FREE online Assess for Success: Grow and Retain Top Talent in Nonprofit Organizations virtual summit. You’ll be given tools for assessing the current strengths and weaknesses of your organization and strategies for creating the legacy you hope to leave.
Mark your calendars for March 4-6, 2020 and CLICK HERE to save your spot!
Resources:
https://www.success.com/rohn-5-undeniable-reasons-to-leave-a-legacy/
https://owlag.co.za/
https://www.packers.com/community/shareholders
