Why do icons and symbols so often outlast our memories of leaders who created them? This question was nagging at me for several days last week after I heard an interview with Sharon La Cruise, whose film, Daisy Bates: The First Lady of Little Rock, premiered on PBS on February 1st. Ms. La Cruise’s film tells the story of a forgotten hero of the Civil Rights Movement. The film explores the life of Daisy Bates, who helped the Little Rock Nine become the first African-American students to cross the racial divide to attend Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

The Little Rock Nine became, and remain, icons of the Civil Rights Movement. These nine courageous students helped Americans put a face on the issues and challenges of integration. They survived the taunts, bigotry, threats, and dangers, and they paved a path for the full integration of schools across the United States. They helped make the issue real to people not directly affected by it.

Behind the Little Rock Nine was Daisy Bates. She was the unifying force for nine individuals who helped form them into a stronger more resilient whole. She helped them remain both a group and individuals. Without Ms. Bates to buttress them, some or all of the nine might have given up. Without her strong support, any one of them could have responded to the threats and attacks in a way that could have derailed the integration efforts. Daisy Bates’ leadership made sure that nothing interfered with the integration of Little Rock’s public school. Her contribution was recognized in 1963 when she spoke alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington. While Dr. King and his “I Have a Dream” speech have become permanent fixtures in American history, Ms. Bates has been almost forgotten.

So I ask again, why do icons and symbols so often outlast our memories of the leaders who created them? I believe the answer lies in one of my favorite leadership quotes. Lao Tzu wrote, “When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’” When we do it ourselves, it is easy to ignore the leaders who make things possible. That is what seems to have happened with Daisy Bates. The exceptions seem to be when the leader is killed or suffers for the achievement. In those cases, the line between leader and symbol blurs.

The prospect of being forgotten can be disheartening to a leader. It can create resentment, because the leader’s efforts can feel diminished or even ignored. However, great leaders are great because they lead not for glory or personal legacy. Rather, they lead to achieve something bigger than themselves. That is why others choose to follow them, and it is why they stay with them even when things become difficult. Daisy Bates may be forgotten by most, but her legacy is the change she created for countless students. What will your legacy be? What change will you create that will last long after you are forgetten.