What Makes a Legend?

Today is Elvis’ 75th birthday. Or would be, if the ill-fated legend hadn’t died tragically at the age of 42, so many years ago. Elvis presents a truly fascinating case study, as some might argue he’s even more popular in death than he was in life. Few other figures throughout history have so captivated the imagination of the American people, as well as the rest of the world.

According to Forbes magazine, Elvis’ estate earned $55 million between October 2008 and October 2009 – more than current pop stars Bon Jovi or Britney Spears earned during the same period. Wow.

So what makes a brand or individual such as Elvis so incredibly compelling? What makes one person or company stand out so much in the eyes of the public? What makes a legend? I would argue that there are four particular characteristics that help to determine how these people or organizations come to be.

1.    Ingenuity and risk taking – doing something no one’s ever done before
2.    Personal presence/charisma – if a business, this applies to the business leaders
3.    Connection with the audience – knowing your fans, playing to their needs/wants/hopes/fears
4.    Timeliness – coming along when the world is ready for change

The most famous people and businesses throughout history are the ones that truly changed the landscape of their industry. Think of the new Sirius/XM commercial, where they recognize Elvis for changing music, Michael Jordan for changing sports, Richard Pryor for changing comedy, and Howard Stern for changing radio. Like them or not, these are people who forever altered the nature of their own field. This is one of the key ingredients for legendary status. And it’s not just individual people – Mac forever changed personal electronics, Facebook forever changed the internet,  Southwest forever changed air travel.

The others are a given – charisma is an important part of historical significance. As is connecting with your audience, knowing what they want, and providing it. Additionally, timeliness is crucial. The world has to be ready for what you deliver.

In the end, these are the ingredients for legendary status. They cannot be faked, bought or manufactured – they’re simply the byproducts of incredible people and incredible teams. But for those of us looking to make a mark in the world, we could do well to remember what it truly takes to rise above the rest and join the ranks of the legendary.

These are concepts we can incorporate into our everyday work – remembering that risk taking, engaging with our audience and timeliness are eternal qualities, notions that translate into all industries and efforts. We can all create little bit of legend ourselves, if we embrace our inner leader.   So cheers to that.

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