“Well-behaved women rarely make history.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
Yesterday – Aug 26 – was Women’s Equality Day, celebrating the 104th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment legally giving women the right to vote.
The women’s suffrage movement lasted for over 70 years until they won this victory. They knew the legacy they wanted to leave behind and they were passionately committed to seeing it through.
The movement even had official colors:
- Purple – justice and dignity
- White – purity (because many opponents tried to discredit suffragists by claiming they had loose morals)
- Green – hope; new beginnings
They honed their messages and raised their voices, making incredible sacrifices to ensure we have it better than they did.
It reminds us of the privilege we have in being able to vote, and why we cannot take it for granted, which is timely reinforcement after last week’s DNC and last month’s RNC. (In case you missed it, you can go here to read my apolitical analyses of all four nights of both events and their most notable lessons in leadership communication for us all.)
But just as meaningfully, it begs the question: What legacy do YOU want to leave? How will you leave the world a better place than you found it?
Personally, I aspire to leave a legacy of empowering people to find their most authentic, powerful voice, and be able to communicate their ideas in a way that allows them to be and feel truly heard and understood.
If everyone is able to do so, that means they are also able to hear and understand each other, so it’s not just a one way street. I truly believe that would make the world a better place.
That’s why my main colors are purple and gold:
- Purple – vision, wisdom, excellence
- Gold – joy, energy, success
So naturally, my second question to you is: What would be the colors of your legacy?
And how will you need to express that message so that others receive it as intended, and you make your desired mark on the world?
Inspiring others happens in so many contexts and nuanced moments. Sometimes we don’t even recognize the opportunities when they appear.
If you haven’t done so yet, take two minutes to do this quick, fun, “Leadership Communication and Influence Self-Assessment” to identify your strengths and areas for improvement.
Identifying specific areas where your message could be heard in a clearer, more compelling and inspiring way is the first step to changing the lives of more people for the better.
And of course, if you determine that you want to take a concrete step toward building those communication muscles to leave that legacy, you can always check out the various audio programs, webinars and other resources here.
Then again, maybe it’s time for a new career opportunity that allows you to step further into that vision and more proactively live into your legacy with greater commitment and passion.
Maybe you’re thinking, “Sure, Laura, that sounds amazing, but how exactly am I supposed to do that? Personal branding, networking, interviewing, storytelling, negotiating… I don’t know where to start.”
If that sounds familiar, check out my Quantum Leap program for a 90-day path to:
- Getting clear on exactly what you want and how it builds your legacy
- Articulating your personal brand in a clear, concise, compelling way
- Building your network and leveraging key resources to find the best opportunities for you
- Storytelling for interviews and presentations that speak to the head AND the heart
- Asking for what you need and what you want, and GETTING it
- Building the confidence you need to succeed at all of the above and have FUN in the process!
And if all that wasn’t enough, here’s something else to look forward to:
Next week the Speaking to Influence podcast will resume with some amazing leaders who joined me on the show in no small part because they knew it would contribute to their legacy, paying it forward to the next generation of leaders, and empowering you to achieve greater success, faster, through their stories and experiences.
In the interim, and in honor of Women’s Equality Day and honoring those who fought to give women the right to vote, here’s another amazing past episode you may have missed:
- Allison Tittman – (then) Executive Director of the Alice Paul Institute.
Who was Alice Paul? She worked alongside other suffragists like Susan B. Anthony, was one of the leaders who saw the passage of the 19th Amendment, and “dedicated her life to the single cause of securing equal rights for all women.”
Now THAT’S a legacy. Don’t miss the episode.
So today and every day moving forward, when you wake up, ask yourself: “What specific actions will I take TODAY that will contribute to the legacy I want to leave?”
