Its a brand new year and your major focus is most likely on your 2006 business plan and how you are going to achieve the goals and objectives you have set for the business. This thought process focuses predominantly on business issues, external influences, strategy and keeping the team focused on success.

But, what about you? What are your personal plans as a leader for 2006 and beyond? What are you doing to improve the impact you have on people? Who is responsible for your personal growth and success? To be an effective leader, regular self analysis and reflection is absolutely critical to your personal growth. Start by asking yourself the following questions. (It is okay to talk to yourself, its even okay to answer yourself as long as you dont say HUH?)

What do you want people to say about your impact as a leader?

What do you want people to say about you as a business person?

What do you want people to say about you as an individual?

What do you want your leadership legacy to be?

What wisdom and intellectual knowledge will you implant in your employees?

Are you a mentor?

Think about some of the newspaper headlines mentioned this month about former CEOs who now face jail time. (Kenneth Lay, Jeff Skilling and Bernie Ebbers) Think about some of the more successful leaders like Lee Iacocca and Jack Welch. It is pretty easy to define the leadership legacy each of these individuals created.

So how do you create a leadership legacy you can be proud of, one that speaks volumes about who you are and what you accomplished? The answer begins by taking an inventory of your personal values. Make sure that you clearly distinguish your personal values from your business values. A major piece of the formula is creating balance in your life. Family is without a doubt your number one priority. I often ask the following question during my leadership workshops.

What is the one thing in your life that you would be willing to die for? I mean take a bullet right in the heart for?

When you figure out the answer to that question Youll know EXACTLY what you should be LIVING for.

Once you understand and practice the concept of balance the rest should come easy. Vision and mission becomes the business portion of your legacy that is built on your personal platform. This is your passion. This is what you expect to accomplish and how you are going to accomplish it. It is the foundation of your end game. This is what you are passionate about; a passion that will drive you toward success.

Creating a legacy around this balance, this drive, this passion, vision and mission is dependant upon your personal values and integrity intertwined with your people skills. How do you treat people? Do you really care? Have your earned their trust and respect by giving them trust and respect?

No, we cant be absolutely positive about what people are going to say about us. But, we can do some things that influence what people think when our personal legacy is discussed. Identifying what we want our legacy to be is the first step. Creating a definitive plan to achieve that legacy built on our personal values, integrity and passion is what we need to focus on. This requires a constant personal reflection and renewal of our commitment to create a legacy to be proud of.