Earvin “Magic” Johnson joins RBC to share stories of resilience and compassion on International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

This article originally appeared on News & Stories on December 16th, 2024.

December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities – a day that provides space and opportunity for open conversations, for breaking down misconceptions and advancing inclusion.

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an occasion to remind everyone of their responsibility to promote the rights and well-being of people with disabilities. It is a day to raise awareness, encourage allyship and remove biases and stigmas associated with having a disability.

One powerful way to achieve vital understanding and inclusion is through the sharing of personal stories – stories about challenges, solutions, allies and triumphs.

Who better to join RBC’s annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities event than an individual with so many stories to tell? A sports legend, business leader and advocate for diversity – with his own history of disability and adversity – Earvin “Magic” Johnson speaks with RBC on this important day that brings people with disabilities into the spotlight.

Holding court: Winning in sports and business takes resilience and acceptance

Earvin “Magic” Johnson is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Following his retirement from basketball, he parlayed the skills he developed on the court to the business world. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, an investment conglomerate that provides products and services that focus on ethnically diverse and underserved urban communities. His is one of the only minority-owned firms in the U.S. developing infrastructure across the country, having recently won a $10 billion deal for Kennedy airport, following a successful contract at LaGuardia. He also has a continued presence in the sports world – he owns ownership stakes in the NFL’s Washington Commanders, MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and MLS’ LAFC.

What drives the success of Magic Johnson’s business ventures? He attributes much of it to his company’s culture of inclusion, with a strong emphasis on creating opportunities for people with disabilities.” “We make inclusion part of the company’s DNA,” he says. “We make sure our management team is educated and trained when it comes to hiring people with disabilities, and we partner with companies that specialize in placing people with disabilities,” he says. Having a mindset of inclusion has resulted in meaningful benefits. “It has added to our bottom line. It has made us a better company. The people with disabilities we have hired have come with the expertise that we needed to drive revenue.”

Sharing challenges and experiences can help others

While it might seem that Magic Johnson has championship grit in his DNA, his path to success was neither smooth nor straightforward.

In middle school, his dyslexia was exposed to his classmates when he was asked to read in front of the room – and he could not. Johnson shares it was “one of the toughest things I had to deal with.”

But Johnson was lucky. The next day, his teacher and school counsellor were intent on helping him overcome his dyslexia, working with him before and after school to bring his reading level up to grade. “Overcoming that disability was really tough for me, but I put in the time to get better – and thank God I did, because now I’m a businessman and I have to read so many contracts!”

Johnson likes to share this story whenever he speaks with school kids, believing that opening up about his own challenges – and how he overcame them – can help others.

“It’s important to get across to other people that I faced this hurdle in my life, and I didn’t run away from it. I want people to understand that if they ever have a challenge in their life, they must meet it head on. I have probably told 200,000 – 300,000 kids that story. Having these kinds of conversations will open the door for others – whether they have a disability, or it helps them become a supporter of people with disabilities.”

It’s up to leaders to amplify the message

Despite the power of stories, Johnson believes that an organization’s journey toward inclusion should be led by allies and leaders – the onus of work should not fall on the shoulders of people with disabilities.

“I’m a big believer that the management team should speak up for people with disabilities, to tell stories like I do. The organization needs to take the lead, which can lead to co-creating solutions,” says Johnson.

“You’re going to miss out on innovation, on great strategies and diverse opinions if you don’t make it a priority. Including voices from all groups can change your company.”

He notes that he doesn’t like to put a spotlight on people with disabilities in his organization unless they raise their hand to talk about their situation. “Then I give them an open mic to do just that,” he says. “I believe they should be in a position where they are comfortable talking about themselves, and the conversation can happen in a natural, organic way.”

Magic Johnson’s solution-driven mindset

Magic Johnson’s success on the world stage is undeniable – but it didn’t come about without its share of adversity, from his early struggles with dyslexia to his HIV diagnosis over 30 years ago. Johnson credits his solution-driven mindset for his ability to get through rough periods. “When dealing with something, I’ve never been someone to think the world is over. I’ve always been a positive person with a positive attitude. I have always been someone to figure out how to change a negative into a positive. I’m here to tell everybody, we’re going to go through some things in life, but always remember that while one thing may be bad, there are nine other things that are great. This mindset has served me well in sports, in business and in life.”

Dealing with adversity has made him more determined to be successful and has also nurtured a strong sense of compassion. “It has made me reach back and give more. It made me look to hire people with disabilities or give contracts to companies owned by veterans with disabilities. I want to champion for all people. Because my teacher and my counselor saved my life. If it weren’t for them, I’m not sitting here,” he says.

While International Day of Persons with Disabilities is a powerful day to raise awareness and challenge misconceptions, it also serves as a catalyst for fostering understanding, inclusion and allyship all year long.

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