START LIKE A LEGEND: What we can learn from the first steps of iconic figures

Every legend has a beginning.

But not every beginning looks like greatness. 

Some start in exile. Some in poverty. Some in obscurity so deep it’s a miracle they were remembered at all.

History often glorifies outcomes, not origin stories. But if you peel back the myths and look closely, you’ll find that most iconic figures began the same way you and I do: unsure, unready, and unseen. And yet, they moved. Their first steps, no matter how small or quiet, eventually shaped the world. Here are a few of those first steps, and the timeless lessons they carry.

1. Mansa Musa: the reluctant leader who transformed a kingdom 

Before he was emperor of Mali and the richest man in recorded history, Mansa Musa wasn’t even next in line. He was a deputy, appointed while the real king set off on a failed expedition across the Atlantic. But when the throne became his, Musa didn’t hesitate. He invested in education, culture, and architecture, building libraries, mosques, and centers of learning in Timbuktu that would influence Africa and beyond for generations. His beginning wasn’t planned, but it was claimed. He teaches us: You don’t have to be chosen to step into power. You only have to show up prepared to serve.

2. Hatshepsut: Egypt’s female pharaoh who defied convention 

When her husband died, Hatshepsut became regent for the young male heir. But instead of quietly stepping aside, she took the unprecedented step of declaring herself Pharaoh, a role never held by a woman in full power. She dressed in king’s regalia, built monumental temples, and ushered in an era of peace and prosperity. Her rule was so impactful that later rulers tried to erase her legacy, chipping her image from temple walls. But they failed. Her first step was bold: She claimed what history said she couldn’t have. Start even when the world isn’t ready for you.

3. Laozi: the quiet mind that sparked a movement 

Laozi, the founder of Taoism, is said to have worked as an archivist in the Zhou Dynasty. As the legend goes, he grew disillusioned with society’s corruption and decided to leave it all behind. At the gate of the city, a guard begged him to leave behind his wisdom. He wrote the Tao Te Ching, in one sitting, and disappeared into the mountains. That quiet act became one of the most influential philosophical texts of all time. His first step? Letting go. Not to escape, but to create space for truth. Sometimes, beginnings require you to retreat before you reveal.

4. Leonardo da Vinci: apprenticed, overlooked, unrushed 

Before he became a symbol of genius, Leonardo da Vinci was an apprentice in a workshop in Florence, painting backgrounds and learning anatomy. He spent years in observation, sketching birds, dissecting bodies, designing machines no one asked for. His first steps weren’t grand. But they were obsessively curious. He teaches us that beginnings aren’t always loud, they’re often made of a thousand questions, asked patiently.

5. The pattern beneath the greatness 

What links these legendary figures?

• None were “ready.”

• Most weren’t expected to succeed.

• All began with vision, not validation.

  
  

They took their first step anyway. And the world eventually followed.

Modern growth insight: 

You don’t need to know where your story will lead to start writing it. You don’t need applause to make your first move. You only need to ask: “What would my future self thank me for starting today?”

Challenge for the week: 

Choose a historical or personal role model. Look up how they began. Then write down what your first step would look like, not their step, yours. Let that be your quiet beginning. Your legendary start.