Leading Everyday – Prince's Leadership Legacy: Impact & Making Your Mark

 

I was listening to “Purple Rain” by Prince when I wrote this post. If you are like me, you were hugely impacted by the untimely death of one of the greatest musical artists ever. I am affected by the loss of such a massive star and human being because it reminds me of my mortality and that the things I grew up with are being lost slowly and individually. No one is promised tomorrow. You can die at 80, 25, or 57, like Prince.

Reading the news articles about Prince taught me things I hadn’t known before. He collaborated with other music stars such as Stevie Nicks, co-writing with her the hit song “Stand Back”; he wrote for Susanna Hoff and The Bangles “Manic Monday.” Prince also developed other singers and artists such as Vanity, Carmen Electra, Wendy, and Lisa; the list goes on.

Prince indeed has left a legacy behind that while he lived, we probably didn’t even give it a second thought and took it for granted, mainly because we live for the moment and don’t think about the future.

Such a loss of that as Prince makes me wonder if I am making an impact in this world. As a leader, I want to leave a legacy, impact the lives of those I come in contact with, and, hopefully, change the world one person at a time.

Regardless of what you do in life and work, you can leave an impact and a legacy. You are not limited by industry, location, economic status, or anything else that the world would burden you with as a limitation. And if you are a parent, the first place you need to lead is at home. You might not impact the world like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr, or the Apostle Paul. But how you teach your children can determine if they will be the next – fill in the blank – that will impact the world mightily.

Finally, in the song Purple Rain, there is a line that I never paid much attention to until now: "You say you want to be a leader, but you can’t seem to make up your mind.” There are people out there looking for leaders to follow. I urge you to make up your mind and be the leader you were called to be where you are right now. Leave a legacy at home, work, or the world. But make up your mind to be the most outstanding leader you can be.