My Legacy

A client spoke one day about his desire to understand his legacy. This prompted me to ponder the apparent growing importance of legacy and the emphasis we place on ensuring we are remembered positively. Legacy no longer relates solely to how we are remembered once we have departed this world. There seems to be an increasing focus on the legacy we leave behind in the here and now, particularly when we move to a new role or leave an organization. We look back and seek to understand not only what we created, but at how we are remembered in that role or organization. For many people, this is a powerful motivator in their work and lives. And it appears to be a positive motivator, guiding individuals to be true to themselves, do the right thing, meet their commitments and behave in a model manner.  It may also contain a touch of narcissism – an overt concern for legacy may in fact cause individuals not to be true to themselves.

I wonder if the need for a legacy is the icing on top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid-shaped cake. It goes beyond the need for esteem and self-actualization, which deal with the present. Legacy takes us into the future. If, when taking a future perspective, we consider what our legacy may be with humility, with a desire to ensure we took the steps that best served us, that we were our best possible selves, then a concern for legacy is laudable.