What makes her legacy so meaningful is that she was a trailblazing athlete who became the first African American to win championships including Wimbledon, the French Open, the US Open, and the Australian Doubles in the 1950s.

Born on August 25, 1927 in Silver, South Carolina, Althea grew up in New York City with little chance of access to resources or even the game of tennis. With helpful mentors and instructors she won more than 50 singles and doubles titles throughout her career. And this was all before she gained national and international accolades for outstanding athletic ability.

What her legacy means is that each trailblazer does not get where they are alone. Her role competing and persevering means that she overcame adversity during a time when few African Americans were able to compete on a national much less international stage.

Gibson’s autobiography, I Always Wanted to Be Somebody, came out in 1958. What I find curious is that she was restless during her formative years and wanted to find a way to leave behind a legacy. Just by being committed to her craft and focusing on her game she did that and more.

In turn, she paved the way for other African American tennis stars including Arthur Ashe, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams. Thank goodness for Althea, a trailblazer in worldwide tennis, who to the lead without even knowing.

Here are some of her noted reflections:

• I always wanted to be somebody. If I made it, it’s half because I was game enough to take a lot of punishment along the way and half because there were a lot of people who cared enough to help me.

• I don’t want to be put on a pedestal. I just want to be reasonably successful and live a normal life with all the conveniences to make it so. I think I’ve already got the main thing I’ve always wanted, which is to be somebody, to have identity. I’m Althea Gibson, the tennis champion. I hope it makes me happy.

• No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you.

• Most of us who aspire to be tops in our fields don’t really consider the amount of work required to stay tops.

If you’re interested to learn more about Althea’s leadership, then please read more about her at http://www.answers.com/topic/althea-gibson and in her autobiography, I Always Wanted to Be Somebody.

-Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success

Related posts:

1. Leaders: The Ball Is In Your Court The arrival of Wimbeldon Championship Tennis in London every year...
2. Leaders, Get Off the Bench! Recent weeks have included non-stop sports coverage. On any given...
3. Leaders: You’re Always On! Another microphone gaffe involving a high-profile figure serves as a...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

So as I drooled and put my remote control into overdrive along with everyone else tuning in whenever I could, a few interesting questions occurred to me. How many of those dedicated sports fans and couch potatoes are aspiring leaders still sitting in the stands waiting for something to happen? What would it take for those potential leaders to get up and get involved?

While there’s no magic potion or easy button that mobilizes people to take the lead, it might be worth considering what would happen if people just got off the bench, out of the bleachers, and onto the playing field of life. Assume that each one assumed their respective leadership roles rather than deferring to others?

Imagine this. All those who tracked their favorite athletes, playoffs, or tournaments took the first steps to get in the game themselves. They would consider getting out the stands of life and onto the field. They would start the training. They would set goals and achieve personal bests. They would sharpen their game and hone their skills.

Whether or not there’s agreement about the process, just getting off the bench and out of the stands requires action. It means having a commitment to personal engagement and a plan. But, more than that it takes spunk. I’m talking about real gumption.

In Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success, I talk about having tenacity to take action. It’s about creating a legacy and making a difference not just cheering others on. At the end of the day, it’s about what each of us can do to get in the game.

Hopefully others get the message that it starts within and with the same fervor that professional athletes have for their game. It is possible. There’s hope if just one sports fan takes steps to “just do it again” and get off the bench!
-Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks

Related posts:

1. Leaders: The Ball Is In Your Court The arrival of Wimbeldon Championship Tennis in London every year...
2. Honoring A Trailblazer August 25th is the birthdate of a noted leader and...
3. Reflections On Wooden: Coach and Teacher Like you, I’ve had a few great teachers in my...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

As a leader and author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success, I’d be remiss if I did not reflect about the leadership examples I learned during my formative years at home. In her book If You’ve Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything: Leadership Begins at Home, author Ann Crittenden highlights some of the transferable skills that women bring to the workplace. These include multitasking, collaboration, and team-building. Every good leader brings a healthy dose likely learned from earlier experiences.

So, to pay homage to the all the father’s today – our parents, stewards, and guardians –  I’d like to reflect about how I have been influenced as a leader. With an overlay of a few of the leadership fundamentals from Leadership Building Blocks, here are a few ways leadership skills can be translated from what is learned in our homes:

Leave a legacy – Don’t just get involved but make a difference. Don’t strive to just blend in but rise to the top and be exceptional in everything you do. Talk with your father figures about their legacy. Learn about how they did to lead “beyond their post.” Ask about how they learned to have an impact in their work, family, and community. How did your father or father figures decide what to pass along? What did they pass along?

Fortitude – Always ask for help when you need it. Putting pride aside means being determined to find a way, solve a problem, ask a question, or face the unknown. When we take time to find answers, we are better prepared. When we take time to seek input, we learn the “why” behind the answer. If we take time to learn to forge ahead, we just might have a leadership figure who has “been there, done that.”

Everything Global – We all encounter different people and challenges. To be successful means that we are seeking support from those around us. Shape your present and plan your future with mentors, coaches, and allies. These people will help nurture your development and continuously encourage you. Find helpful guidance from those around you and, in turn do the same for others.

Related posts:

1. Life After Leadership Recently a colleague and I engaged in light banter about...
2. Leadership: Beginning at Home with Deana Murphy What comes to mind when thinking of a leader? Strong,...
3. Birthday Reflections for Nelson Mandela South African leader Nelson Mandela has undoubtedly received countless accolades...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

His fame registered on the national platform with his record-setting achievements as a basketball coach at the University of California, Los Angeles. In fact, ESPN News named him “the Coach of the Century.” The New York Times noted in his obituary that, “he ultimately became viewed as a kind of sage for both basketball and life, a symbol of both excellence and simpler times.”

His accomplishments off the basketball court included being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of America’s highest civilian honors. But above all, he considered himself a teacher and became an author to continue teaching by sharing his life lessons.

With his books, he leaves behind a tremendous legacy that captures the vision, philosophy, and integrity that truly made him a legend. Wooden truly touched the lives of millions and was a rare sports figure whose influence transcended the world of sports.

Here are a few books by John Wooden that are a must for every personal library:

● Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization
Outlines his strategies for competitive greatness and it was a Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestseller.

● Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success: Building Blocks for a Better Life
Translates Wooden’s philosophy into a self-help handbook.

● Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and off the Court
Provides his reflections about basketball and life.

In my book Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success, I highlight the importance of legacy. Thank goodness there are dynamic coaches like John Wooden who went beyond the duty of coach to the calling of lifelong teacher.

Related posts:

1. Birthday Reflections for Nelson Mandela South African leader Nelson Mandela has undoubtedly received countless accolades...
2. Leaders, Get Off the Bench! Recent weeks have included non-stop sports coverage. On any given...
3. Leaders: You’re Always On! Another microphone gaffe involving a high-profile figure serves as a...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

As a former elected school board trustee who advocated for equity and accountability and as the author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success, it seemed important to reflect about the Brown decision. Consider this:

• The landmark Brown decision included more than 200 plaintiffs who experienced unimaginable hardships and retribution. Amazing courage was required from the parents, advocates, and students. They took the time and occasion to speak up about problems within their communities. How can we make time to get more involved in our communities?

• The Brown case came before the Supreme Court and included cases from five different states including Delaware, Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, DC. The Kansas case was named for Oliver Brown as a legal strategy to have a man head the plaintiff roster. Isn’t it interested how times changed where women now head plaintiff rosters?
• For the Virginia case, one of the few high schools available for African Americans in Prince Edward County was Robert Russa Moton High School. With grossly inadequate classrooms, a student strike was led in 1951 by sixteen year old Barbara Johns. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) soon joined their quest to get better school facilities and filed it with the courts. How does this inspire contemporaries to joining forces creatively?
• Following the Brown decision, there was the tragic Mississippi demise of Emmett Till in August 1955, the courageous refusal of Rosa Parks to give up her seat in December 1955 in Alabama, the notable Montgomery bus boycott also in Alabama, the brave “Little Rock Nine” blocked from entering Central High School in Arkansas in 1957, and initial sit-ins at a North Carolina lunch counter in 1960. What can leaders learn from history to again mobilize community engagement endeavors?

From history and the landmark Brown decision, there are so many ways we can all learn about the tenacity to stand up and face adversity in the name of justice. When we do that, we can be grateful for what we have learned from those who have paved the way.

Related posts:

1. Ignited by Courage It was not a typical day. The landmark bus boycott...
2. Black History Month 2010: Reflections of Trailblazers Reflecting about Black History Month 2010 and the numerous contributions...
3. A Woman’s Place Is Still In the House This month’s statewide election results in Virginia remind me that...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.