#LeadershipTuesdays: Great Miracles Come In Great Moments of Opportunity

"Great Moments Are Born From Great Opportunity!"

--Coach Herb Brooks, 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team Coach

"Perhaps you have come to this place, to this moment, to these people, to this challenge, for just such a time as this.” (The Bible)*

Jefferson Building, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.

In 1980, Coach Herb Brooks coached a hockey team of rival college players to victory in the Winter Olympics over the favored and what many believed unbeatable Russian hockey team. The movie, "Miracle", tells the story of how Coach Brooks trained and led his team to play and win for the "U.S.A." letters they wore on their chest and not their own college team that hated their teammate's college. As long as they identified with their college team above the letters on their jersey, they could never play as a cohesive team and win for their nation. 

This is a very divisive moment in U.S. history. It's not the worst, but I believe that history will record these moments as one of the worse times in the post-Civil Rights era. I am stunned by how much hate and even micro-aggression toward our fellow Americans go unchallenged everyday. How some people feel above the law. How some even feel comfortable using social media, a communication tool that has broken down the barriers of telecommunications, as a tool to spread vitriol, hate speech and white supremacy. How can we win against foreign hackers and terrorists when we consider each other the enemy? We can't unite as a team against hate and evil forces if we harbor hate and ambivalence that alienate our own country men and women who look and may have different beliefs than us. We have so many challenges in need of good leaders. What will inspire us to work together for great solutions? Do we have leaders who will faithfully accept the challenge and opportunity of this moment?

As we approach Christmas, may we each reflect on the miracle of love that caused a divine baby to be born outside of the royal family and priesthood to an unassuming young unmarried mother who accepted her challenge and opportunity to be the mother of the baby we Christians now call Savior. May her example lead us to consider who we are and our purpose in this moment in time. Maybe we have been born to bring change for such a time as this. Maybe we have been called to this moment, to this challenge. May you be refreshed and replenished during this Holiday Season for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Merry Christmas,

--Nona Ogunsula, Founder, womenatliberty.com

On Tuesdays, womenatliberty.com presents Leadership Tuesdays, a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. To view part one of a two part profile of April Reign, an attorney, activist, social media strategist and the creator of the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, click here.

For more information on LeadershipTuesdays, go to: womenatliberty.com.

*The excerpted quotes and inspiration for this writing are from: Great Moments Are Born From Great Opportunity