When you have reached a certain level of success, you have a choice to make: How am I going to use what I have learned? Am I going to hold on to the things I have learned and keep them to myself, or am I going to pay it forward and help the next generation?
Cheryl Miller is considered by many to be the best female basketball player ever, and when she was asked about her legacy, she said legends like Ann Meyers Drysdale, Nancy Lieberman, and Lynette Woodard taught her that her responsibility is to pay it forward. Cheryl said her job isn’t to stay in their ears and micro-manage their moves and decisions, but to lead by example. She said anytime people call on her, she is here to be of service.
In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind and stay focused only on ourselves and our individual goals, but the best of the best also think about their impact and the legacy they leave behind. True success is not just focusing on our success, but also creating opportunities for others to thrive. One powerful way to do this is by Playing it Forward.
When we make our career climb, some people drop a ladder or rope so that more people can follow their climb, and others pull the rope or ladder up so that nobody can follow after them.
What do you do? What will you do? Will you put the ladder down for other people to follow, or will you pull it up so that people can’t follow you?
Do you know what the difference is between a hero and a villain? They both have superpowers that have come from the experiences they have had, but the hero uses their superpowers for good and the villains use them for bad.
Are you going to be a hero or a villain? If people are willing to follow you, what are they following? Are they following a good example, or are they following a bad example? Are they following someone who shows up, does their job with excellence and integrity, and someone who consistently brings value, or someone who shows up when they want, with the attitude they want, who cuts corners, doesn’t touch the line, and cheats their way drills and practices?
Who do you want to be? What kind of legacy do you want to leave? What do you want the people you lead to say about you?
SOMETHING(s) TO THINK ABOUT
1 - What is your biggest takeaway from what Cheryl Miller said?2 - Who do you want to be? What kind of legacy do you want to leave? What do you want the people you lead to say about you?
3 - What is one thing you have to do every day to leave the legacy you want to leave?
4 - What is the biggest obstacle in your way, and what can you do to remove it?
For a printable PDF version of this post, click here: Cheryl Miller: Pay it Forward
Comments