What Is Your Legacy?

Better to have a mind opened with wonder .....than closed by negativity.

I had the daunting experience of speaking on the same stage as Brene Brown and Shawn Achor last week - Their combined TED talks have had something like 20 million views. You can imagine that at the Wired For Wonder event (hosted by the CommBank) held at the National Institute for Dramatic Arts (NIDA - Cate Blanchett, Mel Gibson and Baz Luhrmann all attended this school) - I was curious to know how my presentation on 'the journey to leadership' would be received. (I am sure that all of the above consider their legacy.)

I figured if I'm having fun - surely the audience would have fun... I relaxed, was myself and had a good giggle with the audience - weaving my tale whist touching on some of the ideas of the other speakers. And I was happy with the outcome and the feedback.

The event was experiential and uplifting I stayed and enjoyed the complete program - and it inspired me to think more deeply on "What will my legacy be?".

Each morning I look in the mirror - smile (and I smile back - totally infectious) and affirm that "I know myself to be generous and competent - and that I can count on myself to do good work - no matter what presents itself." This has worked for me as my leadership journey continues.

I challenged the audience to ask the hard question of themselves - over and over again "What is my purpose? - Why do I do what I do? - How have I made the world a better place today?" - Ultimately I believe that our legacy will appear from asking the hard question and that only in seeing a greater 'cause' can we become true leaders. I claimed that leadership is not charisma - and that we are not born to leadership - we choose it. Or more aptly our purpose chooses us - and forever we are committed to it.

Never ever giving up - but with an open mind, available to creativity, wonder and imagination.

Sometimes this may well seem impossible - but as Vinh Giang pointed out in the final session, "the word impossible is really a mispronunciation of I'm possible" - And I borrowed my headline from him too.

What will your legacy be? My journey to leadership started with a sense of purpose, it took persistence, and uniting the team - and of course passion. (That was the four steps to my leadership journey that I shared with the group.)

Picture: Shawn Achor and myself - with colleagues Lauren Aston and Sarah Bowden - and for those who ask - 'Yes the blouse is from Chi'

Naomi Simson is the founding director of Australian online tech success story RedBalloon. She has written more than 800 blog posts at NaomiSimson.com, is a professional speaker, author of Live what you Love (pre-order now) and now TV personality on Channel 10’s Shark Tank (airing January 2015). Get to know her further on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.