Legendary Leadership

We tend to revere legends as almost mystical heroes who do grand gestures highly visible to everyone.

We even say that’s the “stuff of legends.”

We think of legends as the leaders we read about in history books or someone who has gained fame and notoriety for a societal altering act.

I believe we get the opportunity to meet – and be – legends everyday.

Has someone ever made a huge difference in your life? Told you something you never forgot that changed your perspective? Do you have a leader, mentor, teacher, anyone who told you something that made you better?

Maybe you didn’t realize it at the time, but that wisdom and guidance someone gave you helped you more than you knew at the time. It helped you stay on the right path. Years later in hindsight you realize that was a tipping point for you and that person helped you.

Legends are not always people who have a statue erected in their honor or a star on the walk of fame. Legendary leaders know heroism is in the small acts not big ones. Being a legend is not always about jumping in front of a moving train to save someone. It’s not about having the biggest and best ideas that bring applause in a conference room. It’s about walking alongside people, listening to people, showing empathy, compassion, and listening: really listening. It’s about knowing even a smile or asking someone how they are doing – and meaning it – matters.

Legendary leaders don’t seek the spotlight; they are the epitome of humility. They don’t seek out fame or to be known as a legend. Their only motive is to make a difference and they realize helping even just one person matters

Legendary leaders know that it’s not about them. They know that leadership is about being in service to others. It’s about making others the legends…not striving for it themselves.

A famous Maya Angelou quote, and one of my favorites, is “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Truer words could not have been spoken.

We have people in our lives who will leave legendary imprints on our hearts and a legacy on our lives.

Isn’t that the type of leader you want to be?