The Climb

The Climb

It’s easy to get lost in the weeds. If you’re like me, you might have been blaming the Coronavirus for every one of your 2020 problems. But why? For most, shifting blame onto someone or something else is reflexive. One could say instinctive, but we are not animals. Challenges allow us to grow. So, let’s not get stuck in the weeds. The Washington Post reported, “2.4 million Americans filed jobless claims last week, bringing nine-week total to 38.6 million”1. The most we’ve seen in decades. New York Times also reported: “The cause of this recession — a global pandemic — means that our economic future will be determined in large part by the path of the virus” 2.

Well there goes our year. Right? ..Wrong. The Coronavirus might have caused you to lose your job, it might have had a negative impact on your personal relationships, or even cost the life of a loved one. If history has taught us anything, it’s that our reaction to difficult situations will have as much of an impact on the result, as the cause. Essentially — cause + reaction = result. Don’t get stuck in the weeds worrying about who to blame for your problems. Instead design and implement solutions.

The path less taken. The hard road.

Let’s grow and work towards a common goal. While individually our goals may be different, collectively the goal should be to emerge from this better people. I recently sat down with Kevin L. Nichols, the founder and CEO of the Social Engineering Project. The Social Engineering Project is an Oakland based Google and Microsoft funded social impact venture with Stanford University that is designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry through pipeline programs for underrepresented students of color. Kevin’s status as a Gamechanger is attributed to the fact that he is at the forefront of affecting much needed positive change. His professional career began at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as mechanical engineering intern. After realizing engineering was not the path in line with his values, he went on to work as a legal assistant for Morrison & Foster where he founded their diversity program. Nowadays, he’s aiming to solve the tech industries “diversity problem” with the help of his co-founder, Brian A. Brown. Their purpose is only just beginning to resonate with the masses.

Abyss.

In Principles, Ray Dalio coins the term “abyss” in reference to the low points in one’s life. Ray explains how one should look forward to these moments, expecting them, because they are bound to happen. The low points, the hard times are where growth happens. This is where we need to spend time learning in order to rebuild. Let’s consider one of my favorite examples from Dark Knight Rises, a scene called “The Climb”. During our conversation, Kevin noted, “The climb is synonymous with the ladder…and you never really get to the top until you die”. You have to be present, focus on the step in front of you. When you think you’ve reached the top, you realize there’s always another climb. Nothing is forever — good or bad. But, while there’s life, there’s hope.

If you’re like me, you had big plans for 2020 and it’s been really shitty so far. Really shitty. But if you can’t stand the smell of shit, then don’t dwell in it. Let’s make this the greatest comeback story ever told. The Bounce back. Kevin Nichols and I talked about his decline in funding during COVID. I have a feeling he won’t let that stop him. He and Brian A. Brown will continue on their journey despite whatever obstacles lie waiting. Their annual Summer in the City event was due to be cancelled because of the Coronavirus. That would’ve meant a little over a hundred kids missing out on an amazing learning opportunity. The solution? Summer in the City is going Virtual. We don’t know what tomorrow will look like. Truth is we never did. This shouldn’t scare us into paralysis. Do what is necessary today, to put yourself and those you love in a better place tomorrow. We have a golden opportunity to re-create our future.

By Kevin Cisse

New Apple TV Show Highlighting "Greatness"

The sports world has turned upside down with the coming of the quarantine/lockdown. Sports fans everywhere are itching for content like never before. Leave it to Apple and their new streaming service Apple TV+ to give us GameChangers and leaders the content that we long for! Their new series, Greatness Code, will be a “short-form unscripted series that spotlights untold stories from the greatest athletes in the world.”

Can you imagine that?!

Athletes they’ll be featuring include Lebron James: four-time MVP, three-time NBA champion, and two-time Olympic Gold medalist. What can we expect? It’s reported that he spends over one million dollars on his body a year. Can you imagine that?! What are the untold secrets and stories that make Lebron James go?

Any measure of athletic greatness has to include Tom Brady, six time Super Bowl Champion. This guy is 42 years old and still playing a game where one of the main components is to tackle your opponent.

Women aren’t left out either! Not only will they be featuring Alex Morgan: olympic gold medalist and co-captain of the US Women’s National Soccer Team too, but even five-time Olympic gold medalist and 15-time world champion Katie Ledecky! This is the content we yearn to see at GameChangers.

We can never stay stagnant in our approach to daily life. Whether it’s with our personal relationships, work life, or extracurriculars, the goal is to be better today than we were yesterday. “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.” -Ernest Hemingway

How do athletes with the greatest amount of pressure do it? How do they maintain their sanity? We’ll be watching and learning with you this July!

"Unity is Our Strength" - GameChanger Lily Mei (Mayor of Fremont)

Today, I was very fortunate (thanks KK at Fremont Chamber of Commerce!!) to have attended the State of the City Address for my hometown Fremont, CA. Mayor Lily Mei (elected in 2016) spoke about all the awesome things happening in Fremont: A 62% reduction in property crimes since 2011, the emerging biotech firms and code academies moving to the city, the 600 new affordable housing units being built this year, the startup incubators helping out innovative small businesses, and even Facebook and Tesla leasing even more space in the North side of Fremont (#EagleNation). 

Mayor Lily Mei of Fremont (right) and Robby Gill (left)

The most intriguing and insightful part of the speech was one of Mayor Mei's closing statements: "Unity is Our Strength." I paused for a second thinking about this. As a GameChanger or more importantly a leader, unity is overstated time and time again because it has a positive connotation and what other kind of organization would you want? An un-united organization? You got to have unity. 

But if we think about this for just a second more, what does unity mean that is so powerful for a leader - more importantly a GameChanger? At GameChangers, we're all about helping small groups, organizations, businesses, and schools create positive culture change. We want to help reduce cyber-bullying by including all the students, we want to replace the management of the 90s with the leadership and influence of 2018 and on. Unity - is the 2nd stage of the GameChanger GamePlan. When you have a school, business, or any organization where the team and the people aren't as productive or aren't motivated to do well, you need a GamePlan to change things for the better. 

We start with Pride, because pride in an organization leads to a unifying bond between the group. (more on this later). Through pride and similar tools, Unity is created. And unity is what drives change. If you can create unity, you can bring the whole squad, the whole team, the whole group together onto the same page. 

At the end of the day, a leader is nothing without his/her team. Whatever you can do to get your team together, united on a common goal and mission, will help you achieve your goals as a GameChanger. 

Thank you Mayor Mei for the inspiration - GameChangers supports your Mayorship and good luck with taking Fremont to the next level utilizing our unity as strength.