This Is Leadership
Cheryl Reeve reminds us what true leadership looks like
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said:
“The ultimate measure of a man [person] is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
This is especially true of leadership.
Leadership calls us to act not only when things are easy, but when they're difficult and messy. The true test of a leader is how we show up when the going gets tough.
Case in point: Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve.
In the midst of another uproar about trans athletes in women’s sports1, Reeve used her position and platform to talk about the importance of inclusion:
She didn’t have to speak up.
No WNBA coach had at that point, and only one other—Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase—has since then.
But Reeve understands the responsibility that comes with privilege and power. That saying nothing is also a choice.
“We will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Her words spoke volumes, but she didn’t stop there. Reeve backed her words with action by wearing a Trans Kids Belong shirt during a nationally televised game.
This is what leadership looks like, y’all.
1 The conversation around trans athletes in women’s sports is a ridiculous and completely manufactured “issue.” There are fewer than 10 known trans athletes out of 510,000 athletes in the NCAA, and only 0.001% of Olympic-level athletes globally are trans.
If we truly care about protecting women, perhaps we should focus on improving women’s health and reproductive rights, eliminating sexual assault and violence against women, and reducing gender inequity in the workplace? Just sayin’ …
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