What’s a legacy? And how important is a legacy? Every person; leader, parent, name them, speak about legacy. Each and every one want to leave some legacy.

What’s a legacy then? A legacy is that which a person wants to leave behind for others after they’re gone.

People can want to leave behind tangible things like money or property. But importantly, a legacy can also mean the impact left behind in people’s lives. It can represent the values. It includes the contributions or reputation within the community or one’s profession.

Types of Legacies
The next are types of legacies

1. Personal Legacy
   Person is categorized into:

• Family Values
  This involves a parent teaching their children the importance of honesty, kindness, and hard work. These virtues are then passed from generation to next.
• Mentorship
  Mentorship is where an elder like a teacher helps students or community members and molds their careers or character.
• Community Service
  In this legacy people devote their time to help the poor, build schools, or improve their village’s welfare.

2. Professional Legacy
This is applied through:

• Leadership
  This is where a manager builds a strong and ethical team culture that continues long after they retire.
• Innovation
  In this legacy an engineer or inventor can develop a life-changing product or system. For example an engineer can help develop a solar lighting system for rural homes.
• Academic Contributions
  A professor or academician can undertake research. They can also write books. These activities help to shape thinking in their field. They guide future studies.

3. Historical/Public Legacy
This is the legacy left by political and social leaders. For example

• Nelson Mandela left a legacy of reconciliation, justice, and equality in South Africa and around the world.
• Wangari Maathai left a legacy on environmental conservation and empowering women in Kenya through the Green Belt Movement.
• Mother Teresa is remembered for a lifetime of compassion and care for the poor.

Why is legacy important?

• It gives life meaning and purpose. It helps one to know they’re working toward something that will outlive them. This can make their life feel more meaningful.
• It inspires others. A positive legacy can motivate and guide others, especially younger generations.
• It shapes one’s reputation. One’s legacy reflects how they lived and treated others. It becomes someone’s lasting story.
• It builds a better future. Contributing positively to society or an organization leads to improvements. These improvements can help people long after they’re gone.
• It preserves values and wisdom. A legacy can carry continue one’s beliefs, lessons, and ideals. This will help others make better choices.

A legacy is a bond between a person’s deeds and their reputation. It is the life that continues after their presence in a place or life. What’s your legacy? How do you want to be remembered?