Respect Due
“You don't have to like each other but you will respect each other.” - Coach Herman Boone, Remember the Titans
Whether a weekend warrior at the local gym or a professional athlete, if you’ve played competitive sports you know what it’s like to go hard.
I mean really hard.
You swung a high elbow a bit as you came down with that rebound.
You put a little something extra on that quarterback sack.
You slid to second spikes up to avoid the double play.
You threw a little hip check to get a clear path to the net.
Whether you did some of all of those things, or someone else did them to you, when the game ended everything changed.
Everyone stopped grinding, pushing, and grabbing.
They hugged and shook hands.
Fierce competitors one moment, friends (or at least friendly) the next.
Battered, bruised, and bloody, opponents in opposite uniforms (or shirts and skins) give each other due respect.
Imagine a world where people behaved that way beyond the field of play.
Gave respect to those we disagreed with
Dignified those with a different perspective
Listened to learn rather than to respond
Had real conversations instead of digital conflicts
Endeavored to find peace rather than make war
Paraphrasing the quote at the beginning of the post, we might not like everybody’s style, but we can respect everyone’s story.
As cultural intelligent leaders in a rapidly changing marketplace, by broadening our perspective, we make room for a bigger and more beautiful world.