Alicia:

Hello, and welcome to Soul of a Leader podcast, where we ignite soulful conversations with leaders. On today’s episode, Dr. Alicia and Dr. Eileen sit with former NBA player, C.J. Watson, to discuss making a difference by leading. Welcome to Soul of a Leader. We have C.J. Watson. He’s a former Chicago Bull. He’s no stranger to the NBA at all because he’s been on the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic. And he also played overseas too in Turkey. Then he had a European career as well. So welcome to our podcast. C.J. Watson, how are you today?

 

C.J.:

Thanks for having me. Doing good, how are you doing?

 

Alicia:

Great.

 

Eileen:

Great. Well, welcome to our show on Soul of a Leader, C.J.. What a wonderful background you have. What leadership skills you must have and continue to have to be so successful in the NBA, in what you’re doing now. One thing that really intrigues me about your background with all your success is how you came about being inspired to write children’s books.

 

Alicia:

Yes.

 

Eileen:

I am so interested to hear what was the pull that made you write your C.J.’s Dreams?

 

C.J.:

They were all really just stories. Always had an inspiration, for me, the inspiration was playing in the NBA and I felt like, what can I do to continue that inspiration and be an inspiration to young kids. And I said, why not tell my story? And you know how I feel like I grew up and my ups and downs and also put that in the book.

 

C.J.:

I feel like kids need to read also. So I said, why not kill two birds with one stone? And that’s how the idea kind of came about. And one of my old coaches, he, I know he personally wrote a book before. I didn’t really know anything about the author’s world. So I just kind of contacted him and he put me in touch with a lady named Tamika Newhouse and her company and they helped me put all my stories onto paper.

 

Eileen:

Because I was looking at a few of them and I said, you had to be able to kind of sit to have a vision for that and to put it all together. So when you’re putting together, how do you kind of see or share a faith in a shared vision for what you want to do? How do you kind of emphasize that in the process of developing not only just one, you have multiple books? How do you get people to have faith in your shared vision?

 

C.J.:

I just really just walk out on faith. I don’t really know if people would like the story or not, but I just think I have a great story. I know that my background wasn’t easy coming up and I feel like that’s an inspiration to so many, regardless of whether it be sports, work-life, entrepreneurship, whatever it is I think is just inspiration in all aspects. I felt like I just took a leap of faith. It wasn’t really nothing planned out. I was just honestly sitting on my couch one day and said, what can I do next? How do I want to challenge myself? And I said, why not? Let’s try and write a book. Let’s see if I can actually do it. I’m not really in it for the money or anything like that. I just wanted to see if I can actually challenge myself to do it. Obviously, it’s been done and I want to continue to do it and see what comes from it.

 

Eileen:

When you’re leading or talking, being a public speaker, how do you share what your leadership style is? How would you describe that?

 

C.J.:

I honestly don’t like public speaking because I’m shy and reserved, but I think I lead better by example. I think that was always the style of leadership that I had growing up, even playing basketball. It was always, lead by example and show people that I’m willing to put the work in. I’m willing to do whatever it takes. If I’m the leader on this team, everyone needs to follow me and do as I do and go beyond that and do more. But I just try to lead by example, set a good example. I mean, no one’s perfect, but just trying to be the best you can and then let the chips fall where they may.

 

Alicia:

Wow. One of these that we believe in is you don’t have to be perfect to be a leader, but also I think one of the best ways is to lead by example. Oftentimes, people don’t like to follow someone because their communication is not matching up to their activity or their behavior, so that’s great. My next question for you is how do you challenge others around you to be their best?

 

C.J.:

I think as I said, it’s kind of just leading by example. If they’re seeing me work hard, hopefully, the next person will be like, I don’t think I’m doing enough. Let me kind of keep up with him or let me do more. I think we all can be an inspiration to each other, regardless if you’re inspiring 100 or if you’re inspiring one person. If you inspire that one person, that one person can inspire another person and so on and so on. I think it’s just a ripple effect. I think if we all take that kind of attitude, the world will be in a better place.

 

Eileen:

C.J., would you be willing to share any of your stories on how you ignited inspiration into a group or to people for success?

 

C.J.:

Me and my family, we started a foundation, a scholarship foundation for my grandmother who recently passed away. It was kind of a family affair. We all came together and put our minds together and said, how can we remember our grandmother and the way that she was and all the great things that she did. I’ve just started a foundation in her name to give out money for kids who are going to college because my grandma was big on education. I think that’s just one of the ways of being the leader. We all came together, put our heads together. At times, we do argue because we’re family, but we get by and we still love each other at the end of the day. So we still came together and at the end of the day, we’re still given all scholarships. I think that’s a big thing.

 

Alicia:

It’s nothing like those family arguments.

 

C.J.:

They’re the best.

 

Eileen:

Would you mind sharing with our listener what the name of the foundation is? If they’re interested in donating.

 

C.J.:

It’s the Mary L. Watson Scholarship Fund and it’s based out of Nashville, Tennessee.

 

Eileen:

Thank you so much. Thank you.

 

Alicia:

Wow. So we use a lot of value cards with a lot of our clients, and so values are also important to have when you’re leading in some form or fashion. What are, I would say, your top four values that you try to use and implement.

 

C.J.:

I would say loyalty is up there. Courage, integrity. Maybe the last one I’ll go with is honesty. That’s a start. That’s a good base for some good values and I think everything else can kind of fall under that or fall right next to it.

 

Alicia:

Those are good ones. And loyalty is just your number one. So why did you kind of pick that loyalty? Does that mean so much to you or did something happen or that’s just always been one of your tops?

 

C.J.:

Well, it’s just always been one of my tops. Just growing up, as a family, I have a big family, so we always try to stick together and be there for each other in good times and bad. I think loyalty is one of the number one things that you can really build your foundation on. Then, as I said, you can just go from there and everything else can kind of build onto that.

 

Eileen:

Most leaders and authentic leaders, which you are sharing … your styles of an authentic leader, I think, with us, how do you practice self-awareness and ensure that you stay on point with those values that you just shared with us?

 

C.J.:

I’m always trying to be the best person I can be and never just settling for complacency and being complacent. I don’t think the first word I said was even a word.

 

Alicia:

That’s okay.

 

C.J.:

But just not trying to be complacent. I’m always trying to push myself for greatness each and every day. I think if I’m if I’m doing that, I think I’m being the best leader that I can be. I’m being the best example that I can be and I think others will follow suit and they’ll be the best person they can be each and every day.

 

Speaker 4:

Out of the books that you have, what is your favorite story in your book?

 

C.J.:

So far? I like all of them. I like them all because they’re all true stories. I think the first one is kind of the most precious one, like having your first kid or whatever, it’s like your baby. But I think that’s the one that kind of resonates so far because it has like everything all tangled into one. It’s about basketball. It’s about overcoming different ups and downs through life. It’s about shooting for your dreams and dreaming big and then not letting those different things kind of steer you from that dream or goal. That’s why I think it’s a good starter one, I guess you could say.

 

Alicia:

So when you were creating your books, what was the most exciting part of the development and then what was the most challenging part to say, wow. But then you overcame it and you got the book. So what was the most challenging part of it?

 

C.J.:

I think the most challenging part was just asking for help because I’m not a big person to ask for help. I kind of like to do things on my own and get it done. If I succeed, good. If I fail, then it’s kind of all on me, not on someone else’s shoulders. I think that was kind of the hardest part. Just let down my guard and asking someone else for advice or for help or to get me into a certain direction. I think the best part about the whole process was just kind of seeing the end result. When I actually ordered the book, the draft, and got it into my hands and opened it, and saw those ideas that I was talking with Tamika about. And kind of putting all those things down on paper over the last six or seven months and you kind of see it in the end product, on a book. Seeing the cover on C.J.’s Big Dream. I mean, it’s not personally me, but it kind of does look like me if you look at it a little bit.

 

Alicia:

I think it looks like you.

 

C.J.:

That’s what I tell people. Yeah, it is me, but I think that’s the kind of the best part. Then seeing people actually liking the story and liking the book and leaving good reviews on Amazon. That’s always a great thing.

 

Eileen:

Then after the first book, how did you get the energy and excitement and innovation to do your second book?

 

C.J.:

I think it just came naturally. I think, I recently signed on at the time to do four books. I already had four stories planned out after the first one. So it was kind of just after this first one, we’ll see how it sells the first couple of ones, then let’s get into producing and writing the story for the second one and the third one and so on. It wasn’t really hard. I know I have a lot of stories in my head. I just have to get them down on paper, and produce them and get them into a physical copy. I think that’s kind of like the hard part or the hard decisions to make.

 

Alicia:

You’re in that space of being very creative because you own that opportunity to do that. What are some of your strategies that you use to sit down and let the creativity flow? Do you have a regimen or process?

 

C.J.:

I kind of just go back and think of the things that I did as a kid and try to resonate and see what kind of stories that I have that maybe the next kid down the street or in another city or state can maybe identify with. Then, after that, it’s kind of just a process of talking with Tamika and her team and putting the story together and all that kind of stuff. But I think all my creativity just comes from all the true stories that I have in my head and then kind of playing with it and tweaking them and trying to make them believable and also something that other people can relate to easily.

 

Eileen:

When you first signed the deal for four books, did you find the flow of writing to be a challenge or exciting as a leader to know that you could accomplish this wonderful goal because it takes a lot to be a writer? Alicia and I are working on a book right now and we’re like, oh my gosh, it takes a lot of energy.

 

Alicia:

It’s a lot.

 

Eileen:

So we’d love to talk to you about that. I can’t imagine four books. We’re just doing one now.

 

C.J.:

Yeah, I think it’s a lot of energy. It’s a lot of just sitting down, thinking, planning, trying to put the story all together and then rereading the story, going over it again, editing it, going over the illustrations, making sure everything is up to par, and how I would want it. If I wasn’t writing a book, how would I view it? Just being a spectator or something like that. So I think it’s a long process, but it’s definitely gratifying in the end once you see that final project or that final review or that one review on Amazon where you get five stars or someone buys it on the street and says, I bought your book and I thought it was a great book. My child loved it. Those are the things you can kind of just take you back and it just gives you a big smile on your face.

 

Alicia:

Yeah, and then when you’re in business for yourself, it’s a sense of accomplishment. Then it’s like, wow, I can do something else. So once you accomplish something or you have a goal and you achieve it, it’s that personal satisfaction. So my question to you is what do you have next on your journey? Because the books are great and kids would love them. Have you said, if I did this, I could do this next? What would that be?

 

C.J.:

Well, the third one’s coming out next month. That’s called C.J.’s Big Moment. That one’s about bullying. I kind of got bullied when I was little, this one little time, whatever, but that’s how the book came about. But just trying to teach kids about how to handle bullies in a positive light and not be negative or not turn to guns or violence or anything like that. We just try to help kids see that in a positive light.

 

C.J.:

Then the next book, next process will be finishing the fourth book and then maybe, you never know, turning it into a cartoon series or a movie or TV show or whatever. I’m not sure, but those are just all the options that can maybe come from a book or that maybe I have an idea about. But not really knowing how that process goes.

 

Alicia:

I think if you accomplish this, you’ll be able to accomplish those.

 

C.J.:

Yeah, I believe so too. It’s a work in progress. It doesn’t happen overnight. So Rome wasn’t built in a day, so you just gotta keep figuring it out and just keep coming up with ideas and strategizing and networking and meeting people like yourself and just getting the word out about it.

 

Alicia:

Yes, absolutely.

 

Eileen:

Yeah, have a great appreciation for what you’re doing. So with that, C.J., we’re wrapping up our conversation with you. Could you leave us and our listeners with some words of wisdom?

 

C.J.:

Just work hard every day. Strive to be your best. Work hard to be the best you can be. Don’t really try to compare yourself to anyone else. Just kind of stay in your lane. Then I think as I said, all the chips will fall where they may and just continue to push the limit. Even if you reach your goals, keep pushing for new ones each and every day.

 

Alicia:

Yeah, you have to just continue to push forward. It’s one of those things in life is you accomplish one thing, you got to keep doing it. So those are excellent words of wisdom.

 

Eileen:

Thank you for joining us on the Soul of a Leader podcast. We are igniting a new way of leading with your soul and interviewing ordinary people with extraordinary impact. Thank you for listening to the stories of our leaders who will help and guide you on your leadership journey. For more information on our podcast, please visit our website at http://www.soulofaleader.com. Thank you for listening.