Jolt! (27 page)

Your legacy can be anything that makes people realize that you left a mark and the world is a better place because you passed through. Most people limit a legacy to only money, books, or artistic works, but brainstorm about what you can leave behind—it could be nearly anything—as long as it makes a positive difference for at least one person.

» BUT TO LEAVE SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT, YOU NEED TIME, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S CRITICAL THAT YOU START THINKING ABOUT IT NOW.

Fourth, start small.

My daughter Bailey told me years ago that she had started keeping a journal. Every night before bedtime, she took a few minutes to write down her thoughts, ideas, and reflections on the day. As we discussed it, she remarked how much she wished her grandfather had done the same thing. He came out of a small Southern town to become a Golden Gloves boxer, World War II hero, educator, pastor—how much it would mean to her today to be able to read his reflections through the years, particularly during critical periods in his life.

You have no idea how much a simple, daily journal could mean for your children and grandchildren years from today. A personal journal is a great place to start, and it doesn't take much to begin. If you don't like to write, record it. With tiny digital recorders and voice recognition software, there's no reason you can't leave an amazing record of your life.

Fifth, learn the power of investment.

A few years ago, I read the story of a widowed public high school teacher in the Midwest who never made more than about $35,000 a year during her entire lifetime. She had no children, and when she died, the community was stunned to discover that she had left millions of dollars as a financial gift to a local college. How did she do it? Saving her money and a simple program of investing. She wasn't an investment genius and was actually quite conservative in her decisions, but with some good advice, respectable stock choices, and the power of compound interest, a meager salary was turned into a legacy of millions by the time she died. Thanks to her financial vision, for many years to come, hundreds of students will reap the benefits of that one teacher's legacy.

Chances are, most readers will already be involved in a serious investment strategy. If so, begin thinking about how to maximize a portion of your money for the purpose of making a financial difference in an educational institution, church, charity, or nonprofit organization after you're gone.

And if you don't have many financial resources, don't wait “until you have money” to invest. Begin today to put something—
anything
—into a savings account, and work from there. Learn about mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and other financial opportunities. Learn about the real estate market. I'm not a financial advisor, so I encourage you to talk with one. Check them out carefully and get recommendations from people you trust. There are a lot of con artists out there, so you can never be too careful or cautious when it comes to your money.

But do it today. Enroll in a class on financial management. Talk to your banker, accountant, or attorney. Get good advice, and discover the power of managing your finances for the best possible result.

Who is your successor
? I'm not just talking about family members here. I'm always amazed at how little effort major companies make to think ahead about successors. Someone once said, “Success without a successor is failure.” If you own a company, lead an organization, or run a family business, you need to plan for the transition to the next generation.

» THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN BUSINESS IS LITTERED WITH COMPANIES WHO NEVER UNDERSTOOD HOW TO MAKE A POSITIVE TRANSITION TO THE NEXT GENERATION.

Family members fight, boards argue, and executives battle over succession, and all the while drain the company of money, time, and resources.

When the founder of a nonprofit organization in the Midwest decided to step down, he considered converting the organization into a foundation. The organization was worth more than $100 million, and becoming a foundation would have assured its impact for generations. But family infighting delayed the transition for years, and the founder finally relented to family pressure and passed the organization on to his son. I'm told the nonprofit is now struggling under his poor leadership and is desperately attempting to find a new vision for the future. If it continues on its present course, the impact it could have made as a foundation may crumble as the endowment is eventually eaten away.

Sometimes founders are convinced that the only people who will ever really care about the organization are family members, and they turn away highly qualified future leaders in exchange for poorly qualified sons and daughters.

Whatever decision you make and whatever circumstances you face, start planning now. Even if you feel you have ten or fifteen years ahead of you, it's never too early to begin thinking about the transition to the next generation.

Leave a legacy! Your life on the earth will be measured by two things: what you accomplish with your life and what you accomplish with your legacy. Many well-known men and women—who accomplished great things in life— left nothing of significance after they died. In some cases, information about private excess, wrongdoing, or scandal discovered after their deaths tainted their accomplishments and left them a legacy of failure and disdain.

But many who lived unknown or modest lives created a legacy that will last for generations.

A legacy is made up of many ingredients, including vision, foresight, integrity, service, compassion, and generosity. It's about planting seeds in the lives of others that will reap harvests for many seasons in the future.

» IF YOU'VE WRONGED OTHERS, SEEK THEIR FORGIVENESS. IF YOU'VE MADE MISTAKES, MAKE THEM RIGHT. CLEAR THE SLATE NOW, SO YOU'RE NOT HAUNTED BY THE THOUGHTS OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

In the opening scene of the legendary film
Citizen Kane
, Charles Foster Kane, played by Orson Welles, dies with the faintly whispered word “rosebud” on his lips. The entire movie becomes the intriguing story of a reporter desperately searching through Kane's past to discover the word's elusive meaning. This vastly wealthy businessman who influenced world leaders had spent his life in luxury and wealth, only to reach his deathbed with regrets and a desperate wish for the past.

Make sure your last words don't express regret or remorse. Don't leave anything unfinished.

Leave a legacy, and make your life count for eternity.

» JOLT #25
LIVE A BLOCKBUSTER LIFE
Discover the Far-Reaching Power of Influence

Philosophical purists may weep and gnash their teeth, but the fact is that movies are the most powerful cultural influence we have today.
—COLIN MCGIN, PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

Let no man imagine that he has no influence. Whoever he may be, and wherever he may be placed, the man who thinks becomes a light and a power.
—HENRY GEORGE, ECONOMIST

K
athleen and I have two incredible daughters—Kelsey and Bailey—both grown now. Because of my experience with daughters, when I think of influence, I think of Hollywood. From the time they
absolutely had to have
a Snow White dress, to now, when a smartphone has become a standard accessory, I can see the power of the media industry through many of the choices my daughters make on a daily basis.

Hollywood isn't the
entertainment
industry; it's the
influence
industry.

The world of power and influence. It seems that today—like most of recorded history—nearly everyone wants it, and nowhere in the world is it more visible than in Hollywood.

Blockbuster movies are making nearly $100 million in a single weekend, and major stars are demanding $10 to $20 million per movie. Video games, websites, DVDs, and merchandising are all growth industries—and each is tied to the phenomenal success of entertainment.

Network television isn't much different. Prime-time television is spinning off programs at a record pace, creating a global television market that is dominated by American programming. In third-world countries where houses have no windows and people have no medical care, they still never miss an episode of popular network shows. Major global companies are competing to own entertainment industry assets, as the money, the prestige, and the glamour become just too difficult to pass up.

The entertainment industry in the United States represents remarkable influence. For instance, when major “event” movies, like
Spider-man, Avatar
, or
The X-Men
, premiere, an awesome marketing machine is triggered to capture a specific target audience. In many cases, the target audience is teenage boys, some even showing up dressed in superhero outfits, and all willing to stand in line for hours to catch the first exciting glimpse of a new action movie.

The ability of the movie and television industries to sell, influence, and promote is the raw power that drives audience impact. But what if we could harness that awesome power and create blockbuster lives? There's no question it could transform our personal performance, our leadership, and our future.

» NEARLY THIRTY YEARS CONSULTING AND WRITING ON CHANGE HAS TAUGHT ME THAT THE PRINCIPLES IN THIS BOOK CAN CREATE A BLOCKBUSTER SUCCESS IN YOUR BUSINESS AND IN YOUR LIFE.

Hollywood has always been a mysterious place full of intrigue, deals at the trendy lunch spots, and glitzy stars and starlets, and it's captured a place in the hearts of the public because it deals in fantasy and escape. In that respect, it's very different from industries such as insurance, retail, service, or transportation, and therefore few people on the outside really understand how it works.

Why is Hollywood so successful?

Because it understands the power of a good jolt. Most people think movies echo the cultural changes in society, but the fact is, movies take so long to produce, they have to begin years before they actually hit the theaters. That means producers and studio executives must be thinking about how the culture will be changing three to five years from today—particularly for major “event” movies.

Hollywood can't be caught living on last year's success. That's why so few sequels make as much money as the original. By the time the first movie is successful, the trends are changing once again.

» CHANGE IS THE ENGINE THAT DRIVES THE MOVIE AND TELEVISION BUSINESS, AND CHANGE IS THE ENGINE THAT SHOULD DRIVE YOUR LIFE.

The principles we've discussed in this book are your tools for achieving that change, and they can have a major impact on any person, organization, or business. They have been tested over time and have proven to be foundational principles for success—the kind of success that reaps billions at the box office and has the potential to create cultural changes as well. The kind of success that has made Hollywood famous on a global scale and can help you discover your purpose.

The key is understanding the real meaning of
power
.

THE INFLUENCE OF POWER

It takes tremendous discipline to control the influence, the power you have over other people's lives.
—CLINT EASTWOOD, AWARD-WINING MOVIE ACTOR AND DIRECTOR

Most dictionaries refer to
power
as “the ability to act, the capability to produce an effect, or the capacity to influence, either for good or bad.” There's no question that since the beginning of the modern entertainment industry, movies and television programs have had enormous power. In fact, many would argue that the mass media has become the most powerful influence on attitudes and behavior in our culture today.

Culture critic Robert Johnston has noted that, as early as 1934, in the movie
It Happened One Night
, popular star Clark Gable acted in the movie without an undershirt to better display his physique and, thereafter, undershirt sales dropped dramatically nationwide. In fact, it was not until World War II when the military retrained men to wear undershirts that the crippled industry finally recovered.

And in 1942, when Walt Disney's animated feature
Bambi
premiered, deer hunting in America dropped from a $5.7 million business to barely $1 million. (What kid would let his dad shoot Bambi?)

Even off camera, Hollywood exerts influence, as more and more movie and television stars have become activists for a variety of causes—even testifying before Senate committees.

The power and influence movies and television exert on the public seems to grow with each passing year. Notice the frenzy at a local fast-food restaurant involved in a joint marketing campaign with a new movie release or the extensive research being done by respected organizations into the impact movie violence, sex, profanity, or even smoking has on viewers, especially children and teens.

In a recent marketing alliance, a major Hollywood studio made a deal with a soft drink company to have their movie title emblazoned on
one billion
soft drink cans. In an advertising world governed by impressions, that's a powerful strategy since not only will the soft drink buyers see the logo, but everyone who passes by the soft drink display in stores will see it as well—not to mention its presence in TV commercials and print ads.

There is no question that Hollywood understands power and influence. Whether it's the power a movie star exerts to get his or her way on a film set, or the power and influence a movie has on the public, many would agree that
power
is the currency of the entertainment business. By that standard, the entertainment industry is easily America's number one export. While we might think of agriculture, military equipment, or computer technology topping the list, the fact is, the entertainment industry exerts more influence globally than anything else this country produces.

THE POWER OF INFLUENCE

But ultimately, I'm not interested in power, I'm interested in
influence
. The media business is all about influence and the ability to change people's behavior. That's why the most successful entertainment companies and executives understand that Hollywood is not in the business of
entertainment
—it's in the business of
influence
. Even the most creative writers, directors, and producers who might disagree with such a financial perspective, acknowledge that while they might not necessarily want the viewers to purchase a product, they do want the viewers to be influenced by ideas. Liberal, conservative, religious, secular, environmental, feminist, gay—whatever—every producer has a personal worldview, and that worldview is usually expressed at some level through his or her work.