Playoff season is upon us. Fans from both teams headed to the Super Bowl are eagerly anticipating the big event this Sunday.

Since the season began, every NFL team in the nation has been training, studying highlights of previous games, scouting other teams, and focusing on reaching this point. The largest game of the year occurs this Sunday evening and one team will be crowned “champion.”

The amount of effort given and money spent to begin and finish a champion at the Super Bowl is beyond the understanding of most of us. The influence of true champions, however, will not be seen Sunday evening, or in the victory achieved with a touchdown.

True champions are formed through the acts of kindness, grace, and love demonstrated in providing for those in need. A bed, a home-cooked meal, a drink of water, a smile, a word of encouragement, a helping hand, are all key components to being a champion.

It is true that our influence as leaders provides an opportunity to be a champion in the eyes of others. What kind of champion describes how we want to be remembered?