What are You Doing Today That is Worthy of Outliving You?

Scott Humphrey CEO, WFCA

What are you doing today that is worthy of outliving you? Notice how I phrased that question? I didn’t ask you what you were doing that would outlive you, but what is worthy of carrying on your legacy. The

Scott Humphrey older I get, the more I am CEO, WFCA confronted with the reality that much of what I spend my time on is simply busywork. In fact, I'll make this simple for you. I have found that the things I enjoy most and that have the greatest potential to impact the world after I am gone all relate to people. I would challenge you to evaluate the percentage of time you spend daily investing in the lives of those who look to you for leadership.

Years ago, I had the privilege of working alongside a gentleman that understood that what mattered were those things that impacted someone's life…not simply their livelihood. He inherently knew that it was not simply about finishing the task at hand but investing in the ones responsible for completing that task. His name was Bill Napier — also known as Coach. I had just returned to North Georgia from serving as a sales rep in Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia when Coach Napier reached out to see if I would be willing to serve as the Chaplain for the local High School Football team. Having been a late bloomer who was considered too small to play when I was in high school, I relished the opportunity to be on the sideline, build relationships, and pour myself into these young athletes. Truth be known, it was in one of the most fertile training grounds for leadership I would ever experience.

Coach Napier allowed me unfettered access to the coaches and players. I was also blessed to build a relationship with his family. Many a man can wear the leadership title at work, but few are those consistent enough to allow you behind the scenes into the family dynamic. Because he lived a life of integrity, he had nothing to hide.

There are so many memorable games and experiences that stand out from those years. There were amazing wins, last-second comebacks, state playoffs, and young men and women (as we welcomed the cheerleaders into our family circle) who made decisions that would forever shape their lives. At the time, legacy was the last thing I had on my mind.

Several years ago, many years after serving alongside Coach Napier, I was informed that he was diagnosed with ALS — a terminal disease that attacks the body and most often ends in respiratory failure. Coach Napier only lasted a couple of years, but in those years, he continued to impact hundreds of lives — including mine. Today, his legacy lives because he invested in me and others who carry his teaching and passion onto the next generation.

But don't take my word for it. Coach Napier has three sons. The youngest, Kurt coaches, for the same team his Dad coached when I served by his side. His middle son Matt is the Head Coach at LaGrange High School in GA, after serving as Offensive Coordinator for 15 years at perennial powerhouse Callaway. His oldest son Billy coached under Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban before stepping out to become the head coach at Louisiana Lafayette, home of the Ragin Caguns. How is that for a legacy that outlives you? In their first game of this season, Billy's team upset top 25 ranked Iowa State University. After the game, he was interviewed. Instead of focusing on the outcome of the game, he focused on the character of his team. I couldn't help but think how proud his father would be and how right he was to focus his legacy on people and not simply process.

So allow me to ask you again, “What are you doing today that is worthy of outliving you?” ❚