As a coach it is my job to harness the talents of individuals from diverse backgrounds to mold and develop them for the purpose of accomplishing a singular goal. As an American, I subscribe to the idea that this country is comprised of individuals with vast differences who, for the most part, come together as a team for the singular goal of accomplishing some aspect of the American dream. Unfortunately, since Columbus made the voyage across the Atlantic, American leaders have had a history of marginalizing certain groups and treating them as if they are not integral members of the American “team”. For instance, although African Americans were viewed as only 3/5th human, without the hundreds of years of slave labor they provided, America would not be what it is today.
Every American citizen has the opportunity to contribute to the greatness of this country, and even though not everyone will be a Kareem Abdul Jabbar that does not mean that the Mel Counts’ of the world are not worthy of consideration. Great leaders find ways to be inclusive, while challenging us all to become the best version of ourselves in order to contribute to the greater good; bad leaders find ways of excluding people to propel the interests of some. As viewed through the lens of the present, there are few that would disagree that events like the Holocaust, American Slavery, or the Japanese Internment were not good ideas. If it is obvious that persecution and discrimination due to race was not acceptable in the past, then it has no place for our future.
Effective leadership requires one to be removed from prejudice, deal with matters equitably, and to not be skewed by the voice of public opinion. Recently, NFL MVP Cam Newton came under fire for exiting a post-game Super Bowl presser prematurely after being obviously curt in his responses to reporters’ questions. The media outcry for Cam’s “immature” behavior lasted for days, with some even referring to Cam as a “Boy”, and the “Incredible Sulk”, while NFL future Hall of Famers opined that Cam has “got to do better.” This attitude towards an athlete who, during the 2015-2016 season dominated the traditionally white quarterback position, is a stark contrast from the response garnered when Peyton Manning exited the field immediately after losing Super Bowl XLIV. In fact, many media outlets excused Manning’s actions after such a disappointing loss and even suggested they would have reacted the same way. Furthermore, there are others like coaching legend Greg Popovich who is known for his terse attitude with media personnel; however, in Coach Pop’s case it has become almost endearing and even admired. Good leadership is an exercise in discernment. To discuss ad nauseam the demeanor of a 26-year-old NFL player during a press conference, when there is a certain presidential candidate that has built a platform of misogyny and hate as part of his campaign for president of the Free World, makes no sense. Bullying and denigrating some people while lauding or ignoring that same behavior in others is a bad practice. An effective leader will always be disappointed when people are bested by their frustrations and emotions in the competitive setting, but nothing more. Bullying people for the sake of attention is divisive to the team and should not be tolerated.
With high profile cases of law enforcement officials murdering unarmed African-Americans and leaders like the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia positing the idea that African Americans are not qualified to attend elite universities, the pervasive tone being conveyed by society can sometimes sound like black lives are not worthy. It is for this reason there has been a reaction by some of the voices in the sports and entertainment industry to lead and help those who either feel, or who actually have been, marginalized to remember that they do matter and that they should be proud of their heritage. All Americans should be allowed to be proud of their heritage, and good leaders embrace this concept and build on it.
