What is your legacy? What-when your work is done, when you are ready to retire-do you wish to leave behind as your mark and contribution to the world? At some level, through your day-to-day actions, you are answering this question, whether in the areas of work or community, family, or friends. You may be living the answer deliberately and with purpose and focus, or perhaps you are answering this question more unconsciously. Wherever you are, most of us have contemplated at some point of our lives… “What will I be remembered for?”

One way to ponder the “legacy” question is to look at those who have had an impact on your own life: parents, teachers, bosses, significant others, and colleagues. Are you a part of the legacy of their lives? Another way is to consider your personal sense of leadership. Legacy depends on leadership. That is leadership in and of your life. This refers to your character, ethics, and your ability to influence, motivate, and be an inspiration to others, and most important, to have the willingness to take a hard look at how well you are being that leader. This requires self-exploration and a great deal of courage. For it is not easy to honestly look in the mirror and admit to one’s faults.

Robert Quinn, author of several books on management and leadership, comments, “leadership happens on the inside, where everyone thinks it isn’t; rather than on the outside, where everyone is sure that it is.” This is a fairly unorthodox statement for the world today. We have a tendency to romanticize the leader, the high-profile charismatic type, and we hold out the hope that all of our problems can be solved if we find, elect, promote, or appoint just the right one. But all the great leaders of this world don’t fit this profile. What about Mother Teresa or Martin Luther King or Gandhi? Each of these leaders led from the inside out, through passion, conviction, and heart. Each is what I refer to as a Heart-Centered Leader.

To further explore the notion of what a heart-centered leader is, note the following principles and virtues:

The new year allows us the perfect opportunity for renewal. A new year brings a renewed sense of energy and focus for our lives. Making the commitment to be a heart-centered leader who lives the seven above principles and virtues is an excellent way to start. I invite you to take a look at your life: the past, present, and future. When dealing with the past, look at those who have contributed to who you are today. What are the key lessons? Then ask yourself the question, who am I today, and what impact am I having on others’ lives. This reflection will naturally lead you to the future. What do I want my legacy to be? When all is said and done, what will I be remembered for?

Joel B. Bennett, Ph.D.
Copyright 2006 Institute of Heart-Centered Leadership

About the Author

Joel B. Bennett, Ph.D., is president of Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems (OWLS), providing tools to create, sustain, and renew healthy workplaces. Authored books include Time & Intimacy (Lawrence Erlbaum), and he is co-editor of Preventing Workplace Substance Abuse: Beyond Drug Testing to Wellness (American Psychological Association). Dr. Bennett is the primary developer of “Team Awareness,” an award-winning, science-based training program in workplace health promotion. Visit his site at http://www.instituteofhcl.com.