Leave Your Legacy

Leave Your Legacy

The first time I really thought about a legacy was twenty years ago when I read one of Stephen R. Covey’s books, First Things First. His quote, “To Live To Love To Learn To Leave a Legacy” made an impression and stayed with me all these years. It was so compelling that it became the centerpiece in the main lobby of our school.

The Wall of Acceptance allows every student to think about what they want to be remembered for then leave a message of peace, hope, love, and acceptance. It is the most touched, looked at, and read wall in the school, maybe any school.

Our school gave a presentation some eight years ago that included the Wall of Acceptance. That presentation has come back to us many times from other schools that liked the idea then connected their school to leave a legacy. The company that manufactured the tiles even marketed it across the country as a Legacy Wall.

It has really made me think over the years about my legacy. What is it? How long will it last? Is it what I want it to be?

This weekend, I have an amazing privilege of talking to hundreds of high school and middle school students at the LEAD Conference in Denver #LEADCO. When I started to design my sessions, I reflected on the time frame of one’s legacy. It’s never too early to start building one. I often ask middle schoolers and high schoolers how they want to be remembered by their peers and teachers.

If we can get these future “difference makers” to start connecting with their school around leadership, that can be our start. First, they need to believe that leadership is a choice. They need to let their schools know that they have to abandon the follower model and flip the pyramid so everyone has opportunity. There are many different ways to lead but they should not revolve around popularity and position.

Servant leadership + transformational leadership = resultant leadership. Service, character, hard work, failure, and success contribute to the resultant model. Leadership promotes results. Your leadership ability increases exponentially by the number of leaders you create in your school. This promotes the abundance mentality that generates a positive climate and culture. Things get done and celebrations and rituals are commonplace for all niches.

Perception is reality and the real reality occurs when all stakeholders are included and given opportunity. People are promoted through the team concept where collegiality and fun happen. Expect a lot from yourself and others will too. Happy people outperform unhappy people.

The center of the Wall promotes what I hope is my legacy: to be a great difference maker by making people feel great, allowing people to reach levels they never thought possible, encouraging people to be themselves, finding passion.