“A hero is someone who others admire and a champion is someone who wins.”
We call our mentoring program Champions2Heroes and it may seem backward at first blush. After all, wouldn’t the normal progression be to go from a hero to a champion? Well, I wish it were so, but it isn’t.
In the world we live in, it is much easier to be (or even make a person) a winner than it is to be a role-model. If I take the time here to define “role-model," my proposition may become clearer. Everyone wants to be a winner so logically if you are a winner you are a role-model – right? Not really!
Let’s think of some modern-day “winners” in the news and examine the reality behind the headlines. Let me name off a few you will know of: Bret Favre, Pete Rose, Marion Jones, Tiger Woods, Michael Vick, Vince Young, Jenifer Capriati … and the list goes on. Some have made a recovery and others have not, but that’s not the point. What I am illustrating is that just because you can lead your team to victory, it doesn’t necessarily follow that you have it all together.
Being a champion is a fantastic platform. It often brings with it wealth, influence and popularity. But all of those attributes are fleeting; they don’t last and are superficial. Whereas being a hero may or may not have any of these advantages but it is a deep-seated trait which marks an individual’s life as a whole and is their legacy.
So on the one hand we have status based on a particular accomplishment; namely we can win or be successful in a certain field of endeavor. And on the other hand we have a character trait that is enduring but which may not bring with it any of the recognition or perks usually associated with vocational achievement. Topsy turvy isn’t it?
What would you rather have; character or money; popularity or maturity; fame or a legacy? You may not be able to conjure up the former, but you can build the latter. You may not be a champion but you can be a hero.
We work with those who have what cannot be manufactured and equip them to acquire what cannot be purchased; Very simply stated, we take our clients from Champions2Heroes.
I hope you will join us in this movement which can transform our culture. It’s worth the effort!
- Daniel Southern
- Daniel Southern
