From Pressure to Purpose: 3 Questions That Clarify Your Leadership Legacy

Are you carrying the weight of leadership pressure? Wondering if your daily faithfulness is making a real difference? In this episode, Danita Cummins reveals how a tiny post-it note from her daughter sparked a profound truth: legacy isn't built through perfection or performance—it's grown through presence.

Discover the 3 pillars of legacy-centered leadership (clarity, consistency, and character) and walk through 3 powerful questions that will help you shift from pressure to purpose. Whether you're juggling family, ministry, calling, and responsibilities, or simply need a reminder that your everyday obedience matters, this episode will encourage your heart and recalibrate your focus on what truly lasts.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

• Why legacy grows in the quiet, hidden places rather than in public moments
• The difference between building something big and building something that reflects God's heart
• How "busting brush" became a metaphor for faithful, incremental obedience
• The question that shapes Danita's leadership posture: "What do you have in your hand today?"
• Why alignment matters more than pressure when carrying the weight of leadership
• The 3 Pillars of Legacy-Centered Leadership:
  1. Lead with Clarity (not a 10-year plan)
  2. Lead with Consistency (not perfection)
  3. Lead with Christ-like Character (the legacy that echoes longest)

Key Quotes:

• "Legacy is shaped less by what we do, and it's more by who we are while we're doing it."
• "You don't build legacy through perfection. You build it through your presence."
• "Legacy is not built through pressure. It's built through alignment—alignment with God's voice and his timing and his assignments for this season."
• "Character is the part of your leadership that will outlive you forever."
• "You're not planting for applause. You are planting for the kingdom."

Reflection Questions:

1. Where do I see evidence of the legacy I'm already building?
2. Which of the three pillars—clarity, consistency, or character—is God highlighting to me right now?
3. What seeds am I planting today that align with the legacy I want to leave?

Perfect For Leaders Who:

• Feel stretched thin juggling family, ministry, calling, and responsibilities
• Wonder if their everyday faithfulness is making a real difference
• Need a reminder that their presence matters more than their performance
• Want to lead with Christ at the center, not culture
• Are ready to release what God never asked them to carry

Connect with Danita Cummins:  www.danitacummins.com

Subscribe & Review:

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe to ENTRUSTED to Lead and leave a review. Your feedback helps this podcast reach more faith-driven leaders who need to hear: "Hi. You're doing amazing."

Episode Release: Perfect for Thanksgiving week or end-of-year reflection

Episode Length: Approximately 13 minutes

Keywords: faith-driven leadership, Christian leadership podcast,

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Purpose
• 1:05 Encouragement And The Power Of Small Notes
• 2:50 Rethinking Legacy Beyond Recognition
• 5:19 Obedience As Daily Brush-Clearing
• 7:16 Presence Over Perfection
• 9:15 Alignment Beats Pressure
• 10:30 Three Pillars Of Legacy Leadership
• 13:55 Seeds That Outlive Us

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:05

Hey friends, welcome back to Entrusted to Lead. I'm your host, Daniita Cummins, and if you're here today, it tells me a little something about you. One, you care about the way you show up as a leader. Two, you want God at the center of your decisions, and three, you want your influence to matter, not just for today, but for the future. But it also tells me that you're intentional about making your leadership reflect Christ more than today's culture, which I think is super important. And so we're gonna explore today what it really means to create a legacy of faith-driven leadership. So I want you to grab your cup of coffee, settle in wherever you're at, and let's get started. Leadership can feel really heavy sometimes, especially when you're carrying vision and people and purpose all in your shoulders, all at the same time. You have got a big mission, but the strategy feels fuzzy, and your team is looking at you for clarity that you're not sure you actually have. I get it. It's hard. I'm Danita Cummins. I help faith-driven leaders like you find clarity, align with your values, and lead with confidence without burning out, because that's never okay. If you're ready to get unstuck, lead your team with courage and to turn that God-given vision into strategy that really works. I want us to talk. Take the free leadership clarity quiz that I've created today, and I want you to schedule your no-pressure coaching call because together we can uncover what's holding you back and how to move forward in faith and confidence. A few days ago, while I was straightening up my desk, I came across a little note for my daughter. And I've probably moved it around my office like a hundred times. Depending upon the season, my husband says I just move piles. I'm not really actually cleaning anything, they're just going from one drawer to the other. Can you relate? Maybe. But that note simply said, Hi, you're doing amazing. And I smiled because even though it's just this tiny little yellow post-it, the message feels really big. It reminded me of how powerful a simple encouragement can be, and how often leaders need someone to remind us that we're doing better than we think. Maybe that's what you needed to hear today, too. So I just want you to know, hi, you're doing amazing. Because those of us who lead, we carry a lot. We hold vision and responsibility and expectations and decisions and people and calling all in one big messy box called life and leadership. And sometimes, friend, we just need someone to look at us and say, hi, you're doing amazing. Keep going because God sees you. And so do I. That little note that Alyssa left is what sparked today's conversation because it reminded me that the legacy we're building isn't formed in big public moments. It's woven into the small everyday ones, the ones where we choose presence, attentiveness, courage, kindness, truth, and obedience. Today I want to talk to you about the legacy that you are building right where you are. Because when we think about legacy as faith-driven leaders, we usually are not thinking fame or recognition. It's typically not what motivates us. We're not chasing trophies or applause, even though I do have a few plaques on my desk, I will admit, and they bring me great joy and great admiration and appreciation for the places where I've been and the people that I have been able to work and serve alongside. But most of us don't want to be in the spotlight directly. We're not looking for fame and fortune, but our hearts are turned towards deeper things, like the people that God has entrusted to us, which is super important to me, the spiritual atmosphere in our homes or workplaces or teams or communities, the character that we're forming when no one else sees us in these hard and messy spaces, and the example that we're setting for the next generation. And whether we like it or not, we see this long-term impact of simple obedience. Years ago, a colleague of mine said, Danita, it's like you're out there busting brush. And I didn't really understand what he meant. So he said, you know, when you go into clear a field or clear a forest, it's a very manual process. You're chopping down one tree, one branch, one vine after another. It's exhausting. And you can get lost in the process. But that is the crucible of obedience. It's one small, faithful step, one after another. Legacy for faith-driven leaders isn't really about building something big, not at the time in which we're called to do it. It's more about building something that reflects God's heart. And through that process, then He multiplies and carries the impact. So I think today, now more than ever, that really matters. It matters in the kingdom, it matters in encouraging and building and strengthening our faith. It definitely matters in our workplaces, wherever you work and serve. And it's super important for the world. I think that legacy is less about being known individually, being seen, and more about being faithful, both in the big and in the little. But let's be honest, because we like to be honest on the podcast. There are days when we don't feel like we're doing enough. We have this like weird striving mentality where we're constantly measuring ourselves against some spectrum, either our calendar or our to-do list or our strategic plan. But either way, life is really full. And we're already juggling family and ministry and calling and responsibilities. And some of those we never asked for, but we still carry them every single day. And sometimes we wonder whether our leadership is making a difference in the world in the way in which we hope, especially when we can't see the fruit. But here's the truth that I want to share with you today: one that God continues to teach me in this season because I'm not an expert. I'm just a girl on a path, just like you. Legacy is shaped less by what we do, and it's more by who we are while we're doing it. I truly believe that. Character matters, integrity matters, presence matters, because legacy doesn't grow in the spotlight. It grows in the quiet, hidden places, just like we see in scripture. God often pulled leaders away into solitude, into the desert, into silence, so he could shape them. Legacy grows when we comfort a worried child, when we mentor someone who needs direction, or we pray before making a hard decision. It also grows when we're the first ones to apologize, or when we speak truth with kindness, or when we choose character over convenience, or when we hold a needed boundary, or when we trust God when the path isn't clear. Those are the moments that people remember, and those are the moments that echo long after you and I are gone. You don't build legacy through perfection. I have learned that you build it through your presence. Years ago, God asked me, What do you have in your hand today, Danita? And that's all I asked you to do today. That has become my leadership posture and really my life posture because I believe that I'm entrusted to the person or the thing that's standing in front of me today. And my job is to steward their heart and their time and their gifts for the season in which God has aligned them or assigned them to me. But leadership also carries weight, and that weight can turn into pressure because we start believing that we must know every answer or fix every problem or meet every need or carry every burden. And we're not going to make the right decisions every time. We're just not. So here's the reminder that I think we all need today is that legacy is not built through pressure, it's built through alignment. Alignment through God's voice and his timing and his assignments for this season. I think that legacy grows when we slow down and when we listen and when we release what God has never asked us to carry and when we lead with his wisdom, not through our own striving. Because we don't have to hustle for legacy. It's not something that we can create or we own. We grow it through our faithfulness. So as we close out 2025 and we step into 26, we are going to talk a little bit more about this. But today I wanted to give you these three pillars of legacy-centered leadership. The first one is you lead with clarity. If you've been around the podcast for, I don't know, this entire year, you know that clarity is like my number one leadership value. Because I think that clarity creates peace. So when you're clear about what God is asking you to focus on, you then become free to release everything else that isn't yours. So here's a simple prayer for every season. It's just a question where you say, Lord, what is my assignment for right now? Not 10 years from now, not the whole strategy and the five-point plan. But in this season, right now, right where your feet are planted, what is God asking you to do? Number two is to lead with consistency, not perfection, just consistency. We create small, faithful steps, and those steps add up over time. Like if you wanted to lose 10 pounds, but you only took a walk once a month, that's not consistent. You're not gonna have an impact. So the same is true for leadership and for life. Because our presence matters more than our performance. Deep down inside, I think people are always asking, are you gonna be there today, tomorrow, next week? Can I trust you? Can I rely on you? That's legacy. Consistency builds trust. And trust builds legacy. And number three, lead with Christ-like character. Of course, we're gonna say that. It's a faith-driven leadership podcast where we talk about leadership and life. But character is the part of your leadership that will outlive you forever. One day people are not going to talk about your calendar, your badge of busyness, your productivity, or your accomplishments. They're gonna say, She was kind and he was courageous, and she had integrity, and he was generous, and she was a woman who led from her faith. Character is the legacy that echoes the longest. And every day, whether you like it or not, you're planting seeds of wisdom, encouragement, maturity, integrity, compassion, excellence, and faith. Those seeds are gonna outlive you, friend, even if you never see the fruit. And you have to remember that you're not planting for applause, recognition, appreciation. I think those are good things. But you are planting for the kingdom and for an impact. And God honors that. So before you go, I want to say this to you the same way my daughter said it to me. Hi, you're doing amazing. Really. Even on the messy days, even when you feel like you're stretched thin, even when you wonder if anything you're doing actually matters, I wanted to just remind you today that it does. Your leadership matters, your faithfulness matters, your character definitely matters, and your presence wherever you are in the world, even if you can't fix the problem, it does matter, friend. I believe that God is using your real, everyday, imperfect, surrendered, messy life to shape others in ways that you probably will never see. So today I want you to trust that he's good. I want you to trust that he's working all things together for your good, just like Romans 8.28 says. And I want you to trust that his purpose is way bigger than your perspective. So here's three questions to reflect on this week while you're walking or working or doing the dishes, feeding the cats, all the things, or maybe it's Thanksgiving where you're listening to this and you've had a beautiful, amazing day filled with gratitude and grace with your family. I want you to think about these three things. Number one, where do I see evidence of the legacy that I'm already building? Just ask God to show you glimpses of the impact that you may have overlooked. Number two, which of the three pillars, clarity, consistency, or character, is God highlighting to you right now? One of those might stand out as something that He wants you to see or learn more about. And number three, what seeds are you planting today that align with the legacy that you want to leave? And are those new seeds that God is inviting you to plant in the coming season? Or are those fields in which God is calling you to step away from and to let them continue to grow, even if you'll never see the fruit. So, friend, thanks for joining me today. Remember that little post-it note that Alyssa said? You are doing amazing. I hope you have a beautiful, happy Thanksgiving if you're in the United States of America, if you're around the world doing something else. I hope that you have a beautiful day filled with grace and gratitude. I hope that November is coming to a close and it's bringing you hope for tomorrow and a season of great reflection as you look back on the year that has no doubt, I'm sure, been busy for many of us. It has been ridiculous for us. And I'm looking for a new season in 2026 filled with restoration and wholeness and grace. So I'll share more about that in December as we get ready to close out the year. But I wanted to just say I hope that you have an amazing day, friend. Thank you so much for everything that you've supported and done and given and encouraged this year on the podcast. Uh, it means the world to me, as always. And I hope that you have an amazing day. I'll see you later.