I recently attended a funeral.  It was not for anyone I knew, actually.  I was there to support a friend.  Shortly thereafter, a long-time colleague of mine passed away, suddenly and swiftly.  While I have attended many funerals throughout my life and have had to say good-bye to too many people, I found myself recently really contemplating what I would want people to say about me when I die.  What will be my legacy?  What do I want it to be?  What would make my kids proud?  Maybe this sounds a bit morbid, but when we look at our lives in the context of a time span, stopping to think about the track we are on – collectively, as a group of people, and individually – can be daunting.  The thought that we could actually leave a mark on this world can be overwhelming.  However, the feeling that we might not leave a lasting impression on this world should be just the catalyst we need to spur us into action to have an impact.  But building a legacy requires each of us to take action and to be a leader, in whatever small or large ways.

How do we get started?  Leave a mark by making a commitment to non-profit work that compliments your interests and also your professional work.  Nowadays, most corporations promote and/or participate in functions with a cause so it is easier than ever to become involved with improving the lives of others.  In fact, studies show that job satisfaction increases and stress levels are reduced when people volunteer their time to worthy causes.  This creates opportunities to network outside of your inner circle and comfort zone.  It allows you to find role models and to be a mentor to others.  Both activities are growth experiences in and of themselves, not to mention opportunities to positively influence others.   

What about professionally?  In our jobs, we can become “stuck,” and we hesitate to push forward with our dreams, career aspirations, and ambitions.  Especially in this economy, where having a job is sacred, many are afraid to rock the boat and raise their hand for that new position, a role that comes with a new set of challenges and the equal probability for success…or failure.  However, it is through these new experiences that we grow the most, think the deepest, stretch our skills – and form our legacy.  By tapping our creative and intellectual curiosity, we expand our field of influence within organizations. Volunteering for special projects will leave an imprint on the positive momentum of the company.  We all have a duty to do our jobs to the best of our abilities, but we also have a responsibility to help grow a practice and to develop ourselves.  Sometimes, choosing to challenge ourselves is intrinsically linked with accepting more risk.

Rebecca Shambaugh’s book, It’s Not a Glass Ceiling; It’s a Sticky Floor, covers the conflict between short-term, pragmatic thinking and long-term risk taking.  Shambaugh states that, “Actively seeking out new opportunities and learning to tolerate risk is a form of leadership, in that being a good leader is about putting yourself in different and challenging experiences that teach you new things about yourself and the world in which you work.”  Taking on new opportunities enables us to set an example; we, in effect, become a role-model and an inspiration to others in our society.  Reflect on someone you know of who has taken a leap – perhaps an entrepreneur, or a friend who went out on a limb for a cause s/he believes in, or a new CEO of a struggling company, or a PhD uncovering new and possibly controversial research in the field of medicine.  They stand out as leaders.  They take a risk and they make change happen.  They create a legacy.

Besides fear, what hinders women from stepping into new roles, taking on different challenges in their firms, and building a legacy?  In a Harvard Business Review article, Herminia Ibarra and Otilia Obodaru cite research that indicates men outshine women in one area:  vision, ie. foresight.  Why?  Three possible explanations emerged: 1) women may have just as much skill but deliver results in a more collaborative way, resulting in the credit for the idea being less measurable to one person; 2) women carry residual feelings that they have less freedom to “go out on a limb;” and 3) women have been a long-standing back-stage witnesses to ill-conceived visions.

These obstacles are all surmountable.  Especially these days, women are starting their own businesses, becoming involved with politics and running foundations – all of which require vision.  Yet, 2008 Catalyst Census research found that women’s advancement in corporations has stagnated!  What do you suppose is going on?  Are women not offered the positions?  Are we not accepting the positions?  Are we not trained to handle the positions and therefore fail and cap-out?  Are the demands of corporate “life” too onerous?  Are we lacking sponsors and mentors?  Are we short-changing ourselves; are we undoing each other? 

The new year is underway.  Think about what you can do to challenge yourself personally, intellectually and professionally.  Then, do it.  As Corbette Doyle, who is currently teaching at Vanderbilt University’s business school, would say, “Define success on your own terms.”  And I say, take a chance, stretch yourself for that position, learn about something new, challenge yourself, and grab the opportunity to get involved in a multitude of ways.  And, let’s not be afraid of risk for risk is what legendary legacies are made of. 

“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.”  Dolly Parton