A legacy is often understood as a grand accomplishment that echoes through generations. But I’ve come to see it differently. Taking inspiration from Pericles of Athens — “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments but what is woven into the lives of others” — we can think of a legacy as something we create that touches the lives of others in a meaningful way.
This broader definition changes everything. It means that nearly everything we do in our life roles has legacy potential. At work, we create products, services, experiences, policies, or cultures. In our family lives, we nurture relationships, improve our children’s skills, or shape their characters. When these everyday creations weave into the lives of others and endure, they become our legacies. Recognizing this allows us to see how seemingly small actions can leave a lasting imprint.
A striking example of this for me is how a single verse by the 19th-century Ottoman-Turkish poet Tevfik Fikret transformed my life. Fikret was the voice of freedom in his time. In 1911, he published a poem declaring himself “a poet who is free in thought, conscience, and wisdom.” Four years later, he died. But nine years after that, his verse found life in Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s 1924 speech to the teachers of the new Turkish Republic, in which he challenged them to raise generations who are free in thought, conscience, and wisdom. That vision shaped the education system I grew up in — and I don’t think I would have come close to doing what I have done in my life without it.
Fikret surely wouldn’t have known that what he intended mainly for his son’s benefit would make the most profound impact on generations to come. Our own legacies are similar. We cannot fully grasp their significance or ripple effects. Yet we can choose how we approach them.
Transactional vs. Legacy Mindset
The environments in which we work and live often encourage a transactional mindset — one focused on what we give and what we get. Organizations measure results, incentives reward performance, and everyday pressures naturally draw our attention toward immediate exchanges. This orientation is both natural and necessary. But when it becomes our default way of approaching life, our impact tends to be more limited and short-lived.
The legacy mindset is different. It means approaching every role — at work, in our families, and even in a single conversation — with the question: What difference can I make? While it naturally encourages a longer-term perspective, it applies just as much to today’s actions as to tomorrow’s aspirations. It recognizes that everything we create has the potential to weave into the lives of others and leave a lasting imprint.
A legacy mindset also recognizes that meaningful impact is rarely created alone. We take responsibility for the contribution we can make without treating the outcome as ours alone. Others will shape, strengthen, and extend what we begin, often in ways we could never anticipate. We will never fully know the ripple effects of our legacies or how future generations may build upon them. Not knowing is not a deterrent; it is a source of humility.
The seed of this mindset is a strong intrinsic drive to make a difference for others. While this may come naturally to some, it can also be cultivated. Here are four practices that can help.
1. Replace “What’s in it for me?” with “What difference can I make?”
Constantly asking what’s in it for me weakens the drive to create meaningful impact. Instead, recognizing the links between our impact, our success, and our fulfillment strengthens it. The legacy mindset takes root as we engage in creations that touch others’ lives. With each experience, it grows stronger — reinforcing itself through the impact we see and feel.
2. Create everything twice — first within, then in the world.
As the saying goes, everything is created twice: first within us, and then in the real world. The first creation is a vision — an aspirational picture we paint in our hearts and minds. That vision is then brought to life through planning and perseverance. This applies whether the impact is immediate or takes years to unfold. As Michelangelo is often quoted as saying: “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.”
3. Apply the legacy mindset to the small moments, not just the big ones.
A legacy doesn’t require a stage or a title. It can emerge from what we build over years and decades — or from the thoughts and emotions we inspire in everyday moments. A single conversation, a piece of feedback, a decision made with care. When we approach these moments with the intention of making a difference, we increase the likelihood that our impact is meaningful and lasting.
4. Watch for the sense of self pulling you back to transactional.
Our sense of self — the collection of thoughts we hold about who we are — quietly seeks validation and recognition. It can pull us back toward a transactional orientation: What credit will I get? How does this serve my position? Becoming aware of this pull is essential. The legacy mindset flourishes when we step beyond our comfort zones and focus on what we create for others rather than what we accumulate for ourselves.
Beyond Leadership
As Mahatma Gandhi is widely quoted as saying: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Over time, as these moments accumulate and shape our perspective, the legacy mindset becomes second nature — guiding how we approach our various roles in life. In our quest to make a lasting and meaningful impact on others, we step beyond our comfort zones and uncover better versions of ourselves. That may be the most enduring legacy of all.
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