A friend and I
were discussing the movie
Hidden Figures.
I mentioned that Al Harrison
(Kevin Costner’s character)
in the movie
was a champion of Katherine G. Johnson
(Taraji P. Henson’s character).
He ensured she got the tools
she needed to succeed.
My friend argued that he wasn’t
a champion
because Katherine had to ASK
for what she wanted.
He was more concerned
with his project
than her.
Here’s the thing…
Champions aren’t mind readers
and they usually have their own tasks
to manage.
They won’t slay all of our dragons
for us.
They are there to support us,
to give us the tools
to slay our own dragons,
to make that dragon-slaying
a bit easier.
A champion might be that internal contact
at a prospective customer
who sets up a first meeting
for you
with the buying team.
She might be the reader
who mentions your book to another person.
He might be the boss
who assigns you to a high profile project.
A champion doesn’t hand us success.
A champion makes that success
a bit easier to achieve.