What's My Name?

In my early childhood, I always heard my father praising Muhammad Ali, as a great fighter, and as a great person. As a child, I didn’t understand what that meant. I always thought my father enjoyed the boxing matches and the entertainment around it. What I really didn’t know, is that Muhammad Ali’s amazing fights were mostly outside the ring.

Muhammad Ali was a loved public figure, but was it because he won the gold medal in the Olympics? Sure. Was it because he was the world boxing champion? Absolutely. But what I discovered later is that it was not just his fame, political views or even religious beliefs that made him “the greatest”. It was how he went through change so powerful, and so determined, it was his courage.

When we view change, in the business world or our personal lives, we are faced with the unknown, the uncertainty, and fear. How many of us wants to quit and start fresh, but never have the guts to do it? How many companies are forced to go through transformation and turbulence, and fail midway? Change inherently breeds resistance, adaptation challenges, and high inertia, which is even more apparent in successful and complacent people or organizations. It is only through hard work can one navigate through change.

There is no substitute for hard work, no shortcuts, and most definitely no safe routes to greatness. What I learned from the champ is to set up my goals high, work hard, reach my limits, and push a little more, then keep pushing until I reach my goals. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

To be great, you have to lead change, but that is not the only thing Muhammad Ali did. He worked, and he worked really hard! He was a man of courage, a man of principle and conviction. He had a vision, and he marched towards it, stepping on anything that might stop him on the way. We will never forget the champ storming Ernie Terrell with punches while asking him “What’s my Name”. Ernie, and the rest of the world, submitted to the new Muhammad Ali.

“Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing." Rest in peace, Muhammad Ali.