“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”  Pericles, Philosopher

After celebrating Mother’s Day last month and Father’s Day this month, legacy has been on my mind. So today, I’d like to share the six cornerstones I believe you need to build a lasting legacy.

What does legacy really mean?

Before we discuss building a legacy, I think it’s important to define the concept of a legacy.

Leaving a legacy takes faith, creativity, drive, and tenacity. It’s something I talk about quite often in my line of work, but the concept of leaving a legacy is unique to the individual.

For some, it might include being able to leave financial gifts of money or property to friends or family. For others, it might mean being a positive role model for their children. And for some, it might mean sharing gifts of talent or wealth with the larger community.

For business owners, it means leaving a thriving business for your family to continue building through the generations. It means setting your loved ones up for financial success. It means building a business that the owner, clients, and larger community are proud to call theirs.

Whether you think of legacy in terms of your business or your family life, a legacy is within your control to build. It takes faith and creativity to envision what your business could look like in the decades to come. It takes drive to work toward your vision of that legacy. And it takes tenacity to approach every decision as an opportunity to grow your legacy.

If you want to turn your business into a lasting legacy that you can be proud of, you need these 6 cornerstones:

1. Beliefs and Values

The foundation to establishing a legacy begins with the bedrocks of your beliefs and values. Do you know your core beliefs and values? Your greatest values might be honesty, faith, service, freedom, hope, or one of many others.

Take time to reflect on what they are and write them down. These become your lighthouse to guide you as you make challenging decisions and keep your business steady during difficult times.

2. Actions

Each of us is responsible for what we do, and others are influenced or affected by our actions. As leaders, we set the tone for the entire business. Be a positive role model in what you do. Think about your actions and the implications that they will have not only on you, but on others right now and in the years to come.

3. Words

Spoken or written, words we utter impact our lives and the lives of others. Use the power of your words to encourage and build people up rather than tear them down. Remind yourself that your word choices reflect your attitude toward people and the topic of discussion. John C. Maxwell echoed this idea when he said, “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.”

4. Relationships

In everything you do, developing positive relationships with others is key. Treat people with respect and learn from them. Build lasting relationships both in your personal and professional life. Find a mentor, and allow yourself to be a mentor. Think about who in your life you could pass your legacy business on to, and what you are doing to actively develop your relationship and hone their business mastery.

5. Service

One hallmark of a legacy business is its standing in the larger community. Giving in service to the community that helped to grow your business is a responsibility as well as a privilege. Find ways to get involved in issues or causes that are important to you with an eye toward continuing that service for many years.

6. Focus

As you build your legacy, you must give concentrated attention on the things that matter to you. Keep in charge of your agenda and direction or someone else will take charge of it for you.

It takes a lifetime to build a legacy. 

I’d love to hear in the comments what you are doing regularly to build your lasting legacy.

If you are not making time to reflect on and review the cornerstones of your legacy, it’s time to add accountability to your building blocks for success. At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I help clients “double plus” their incomes by teaching them a proven system for sales and business growth and holding them accountable week after week until their goals become a reality.

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus™” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with more than 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I work with each client to implement the strategies they’ve been missing that will enable them to break through barriers preventing them from the success they know they are capable of. Contact me today to find your future clients who just don’t know what they’re missing.