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How to get an “A” in Leadership

September 18, 2018 by C.J. Stewart

Being educated in the Atlanta Public Schools System (APS), I wanted to become a leader like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Atlanta’s first Black Mayor Maynard Jackson, both APS graduates.

At the time, I believed the title “leader” was a reflection of the position you held indicating others were following you. Fortunately, my definition of a leader has developed. How do you define leadership?

How to get an “A” in Leadership:

AUTHENTIC. Who YOU Are.

Are you authentic? Are you aware of your current shortcomings and biggest life lessons? How about those who follow you? “Fake it til you make it” and “Grind til you shine” are two failing mantras that some leaders live by. There is an alternative – Authenticity. Authenticity is the foundation for effective leadership. What is your leadership mantra? Are you Authentic?

AWARENESS & ATTITUDE (A2). How YOU Think and How YOU Act.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. – Albert Einstein

Are you AWARE of what ails our city and your ATTITUDE toward the problem? Georgia has one non-profit charitable organization for every 361 people. It is ranked in the top 1/3 of most charitable states overall. Georgia’s charitable organizations are generous with both their money and volunteers. So….

• Why, does Atlanta have so many problems with poverty and failed educational outcomes?

• Why haven’t these problems been resolved?

Don’t we have enough leaders? How do we hold leaders accountable to the very needed solutions?

ADJUSTMENTS. How YOU Respond.

How you respond to a crisis reveals character. Bad news? A bad financial report? Difficulty in your company or with your child? Do you have the wherewithal to make ADJUSTMENTS for positive outcomes in the face of bad news?

Content knowledge without the character to act perpetuates crises and is a reflection of ineffective leadership. Conferences and books can educate leaders but crises itself equips us to formulate solutions.

APTITUDE. How YOU Correct.

Aptitude is the ability to learn and apply knowledge. Leaders must put in action what they are learning at leadership conferences which require getting involved, staying committed and being vested in the outcome. Correction of our problems requires application, not just knowledge or position.

L.E.A.D. Ambassdor Ja’Vien Woods and U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson

ATHLETICISM & ACTION. How YOU Make Things Happen.

Leadership is dynamic. People being led want to win regardless of context. Athleticism and Action – required elements for success in sports as well as leadership. Watching Michael Vick play when he was our quarterback for the Falcons was exciting. Why? He made things happen despite not being the most fundamental quarterback in the league.

As a leader in Atlanta, how are you doing? Can you rate yourself on these A’s? What is your formula for making things happen?

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Reflection :: 4th Annual Safe at Home Game

August 29, 2018 by C.J. Stewart

The 4^th Annual Safe at Home Game was played on August 4, 2018 at the Moore–Clendenon Baseball Field on the historic campus of Booker T. Washington High School. Three specific things immediately come to mind as I reflect on the success of this year’s event:

· the place,

· the people, and

· the point.

The Place – Home at the Historic Booker T. Washington High School, Atlanta, GA

The first three years, the Safe at Home Games were played at Georgia Tech’s Russell Chandler Stadium. This year we brought it home to Booker T. Washington High School.

In September 2014, APIVEO founder, Brad Jubin, accepted my invitation to come out to Washington High School and give a short pre-game talk on leadership to the players at one of our L.E.A.D. Fall Legacy League self-officiated games.

Brad had his son Christian with him, and after he addressed the players, he and his son stayed to watch the first game despite his apprehension over the location. Suffice it to say that it is not the same neighborhood that it was when Martin Luther King, Jr. was a student at Washington High School. That said, what Brad and his son, witnessed on the field that day and learned about the people who live in the community became the impetus for the Safe at Home Game.

Brad and Christian’s visit came just a few weeks after Michael Brown, an unarmed Black man, was fatally shot by police in Ferguson, MO. Seems like we were all looking for a solution to ease tensions between Black communities and police, because a few months after his visit, Brad contacted Kelli and me to discuss what he had learned that day and asked what we thought about the possibility of a baseball game between inner city kids and cops. We spoke further, and the rest is history.

From a personal perspective, Washington High School is special because of family ties. My mother, who had me as a teenager, is a graduate of Washington High School, my uncle Bob met my Aunt Margie there, and my nieces graduated from there this past school year.

Officer J.T. Somers and DeAngelo Nowell, Jr.

The People – Atlantans Come Together at the Right Place at the Right Time

According to the 2017 U.S. Census, Atlanta has an estimated population of 5,884,736. A mere fraction of Atlanta’s population attended the game this year, but they were all the right people; there for the right reason.

The people who came out were clearly there to support building bridges between the Black community and Atlanta’s police through their common passion for baseball.

The stands were filled with fans cheering for the cops as well as the Ambassadors. Even though the Ambassadors came up short for the second consecutive year, everyone agreed that it didn’t matter because we all won, and Atlanta continues to win through the goodwill and brotherhood generated between the players by the Safe at Home Game.

The Point – Leading the Ambassadors into a Sustainable Life of Significance

I maintain that Atlanta will never become a world-class city until hundreds of thousands of Black males are living a sustainable life of significance, which may include careers in public service. Leading Atlanta’s at-risk young Black men to live such lives is what I do every day. I am intentional about how I lead these young men and commit to exposing them to experiences that will inspire them and lead to their success.

The Safe at Home Game has become such an event. It is one that I rely on to inspire our L.E.A.D. Ambassadors into public service. Through their participation, the Ambassadors get to know some of Atlanta’s hard-working public servants with who they have something in common.

For instance, they have unfettered access to Atlanta’s police officers and are provided with a unique perspective into their lives. One officer that has become a role model is Assistant Chief of Police, Rodney Bryant. He is an Atlanta native, educated in the Atlanta Public School system just like the Ambassadors. He attended M. Agnes Jones Elementary School and Sylvan Hills High School.

Elected officials have also become interested in the Safe at Home Game and participate in various ways. This year Atlanta City Councilman Andre Dickens presented a proclamation to the players making August Safe at Home Month in Atlanta. Councilman Dickens is a fifth generation Atlantan and proud product of the Atlanta Public School System where he graduated from Benjamin E Mays High School. He also played baseball. The Councilman’s interaction is meaningful to the Ambassadors because they are familiar with him, where he comes from and who he has become. They look up to him, admire his achievements, and are inspired.

For L.E.A.D. to be successful, our work must be intentional. As I look ahead in planning the 5^thAnnual Safe at Home Game, I will keep these three things in mind as foundational to its continued success. Atlanta’s success is counting on it.

L.E.A.D. Ambassadors with Atlanta City Councilman Andre Dickens

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Humility to me

July 19, 2018 by C.J. Stewart

This was the Facebook post that my wife Kelli made on Monday, May 14, 2018. To my surprise, nobody responded negatively.

“When Black people are told to be humble, it means we have to surrender our confidence and dignity. It is an age-old strategy that is akin to using Christianity as a tool to justify American slavery.

It’s what got Emmett Till murdered and our ancestors lynched – the notion that we would have the nerve to express our confidence and dignity.

There is a common thread between our explicitly tragic history and the calls we hear today to be humble: they are all based on acts of suppression that, cumulatively, amount to a culture of oppression. They all originate from a deficient and sometimes unconscious belief in a hierarchy of sorts, one in which we are all somehow supposed to “know our place.”

If I have been diligent in my craft and have experienced success as a result of it- I have earned the right to be confident. #LettinMyLightShine #ClaimingMyGreatness #NotHidingItUnderABushel #iSeeWhatYouTryinToDo

Kelli Stewart

There are so many definitions for the word “humble”. There are those who consider being humble a selective requirement. They believe certain people should be humble while others, including themselves, are exempt from it, as if they are the umpire, responsible for judging when a particular individual or the movement they represent is either “safe” or “out” (as in “unsafe”).

According to Rick Warren, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”

I really like that definition.

As a child and even up until age 40, I defined humility as hiding my blessings and not taking credit for positive things that I’ve done so that I wouldn’t make others feel “unsafe”.

At age 40, I graduated from Leadership Atlanta’s 2015 cohort class. The mission of Leadership Atlanta is to build a better community for everyone in the Atlanta region through education about the key issues facing the region and inspiring members and others to take on and exercise real leadership committed to serving the common good.

Leadership Atlanta was a convicting experience that enabled me to get better connected with myself, which allowed me to collaborate with others to create change.

At age 40, I gave myself permission to embrace my blessings from God that allow me to bless others on earth. I also stopped the deflection of credit when I accomplished things. Ultimately, I realized that I serve as a conduit to receive blessings from God that I can then give to others.

For me, there are few things worse than an obscure Black man. As a child, I assumed that everything that was done right was done by a White man.

As children, we all form our sense of self-worth based on the circumstances and messages thrust upon us, but that doesn’t mean they are true. Our journey is one of navigating reality and overcoming untruths – of recognizing what is false in the world around us and what is true in ourselves.

Along that journey, there is balance and unity that comes with humility – a recognition that we may be much better than we thought we were as a child, but we are still imperfect individuals in an imperfect world.

As an imperfect man of God, I’m on assignment every day. We all have a purpose for our life and mine is to be significant by serving millions and bringing them into a relationship with Christ starting with my wife, Kelli, and our daughters Mackenzi and Mackenna.

Mackenna and Mackenzi Stewart

I’m 42 years of age and here’s a list of 42 things that I want to do in my future.

Ending racism in my lifetime is number 1 on my list.

Why is ending Racism #1? Because when I call on my own humility, what I want is about so much more than what I want. Ending racism is a legacy that will generate a positive impact that will flow powerfully through time and space, to future generations and to all people (not just black people). It will help us “know our place” relative to God rather than relative to each other.

This is not about me thinking less about myself, it is about me thinking of myself less.

I’m a devoted husband and father, a consequential leader, a coach, and a Best Selling author among many blessings. I have been diligent in my craft and have experienced success as a result of it- I have earned the right to be confident.

– How does Kelli’s Facebook post make you feel?
– How do you define humility?
– What emotions do you feel in the presence of a confident Black man?

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Speed of trust

June 21, 2018 by C.J. Stewart

Not too long ago, a White man asked me what I was mad about. Honestly, it was one of the best things that has happened to me over the last five years. The question forced me to pause. It forced me to think. The question showed he was paying attention to me. The answer was important to him.

The feeling of acknowledgement is important to some people. It shows they are not being ignored or lack value.

Even the Bible says it’s alright to be angry, but not to sin:

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” — ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:26-27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As a Black man, I oftentimes get mad because I don’t feel I get the same treatment than my White male counterparts, especially when I’m trying to make things happen in Atlanta.

Along with my wife, Kelli, I lead two businesses. Our for-profit business, Diamond Directors, provides the blueprint of success for diamond sports athletes, while our non-profit organization, L.E.A.D. (Launch, Expose, Advise, Direct), partners with Atlanta Public Schools to empower an at-risk generation to lead and transform their city of Atlanta.

In my dealings with other people, I seek three things: benefit of the doubt, respect and trust.

No. 1 — Benefit of the doubt

The Urban Dictionary defines “benefit of the doubt” as defaulting to the belief that your intentions are honest, and not assume malice when there is uncertainty or doubt surrounding the circumstances.

We all stereotype each other. I believe that it’s impossible to stop and is healthy to do.

It scares people at times, but early on in conversations with people, I share the stereotypes that I have of them so that they can debunk them immediately. This helps us connect, which leads to respect.

While I’m not a mind reader, my spiritual gift is discernment. I can feel when people doubt me. If you don’t have the courage to tell me the stereotype you have of me, give me the benefit of the doubt so that I can earn your respect.

No. 2 — Respect

Respect is the ability to treat people in a positive manner—a way that acknowledges them for who they are and/or what they are doing.

An important part of respect is simply acknowledging the other person in a positive manner. You don’t have to like me when you first meet me, but you should respect me until I’ve given you a reason not to.

No. 3 — Trust

Trust is the confident expectation of something; hope.

Things getting done move at the speed of trust. For some, trust takes time, which usually translates into a lot of time. For me, trust moves at the speed of your willingness and ability to make and keep promises.

Making and keeping promises means that I deem you as important. It means I will trust you.

Finding out what you deem important is about asking what’s valuable to you.

As a Black leader in Atlanta, I want the benefit of the doubt, respect and trust, in that order. Having all three enables me to deliver on promises that I make to hundreds of young Black men every year.

Under my leadership and the support of our L.E.A.D. staff and executive board of directors, our L.E.A.D. Impact Stats are as follows:

100 percent of our Ambassadors graduate from high school

95 percent attend college

5 percent enroll in the military

92 percent attend college with scholarship opportunities

15 percent graduate from college

These are numbers that we are proud to share. They represent the hallmarks of our success and represent the foundation for efforts to help build the next generation of Black leaders.

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The Silver Bullet – People want change but aren’t willing to change

May 17, 2018 by C.J. Stewart

To me, “There’s no Silver Bullet” is code for …

– I understand the problem but I don’t know how to solve it
– I don’t understand the problem and I don’t care to solve it
– I don’t care a.k.a. it’s complicated and I don’t do complicated

My temperature rises when I’m in the room with “leaders” and “problem solvers” and we get to the point when somebody says, “there’s no Silver Bullet”. What are they really saying?

When I hear that, I immediately think of three things.

1. The person saying it understands the problem but doesn’t know how to solve it.

2. They don’t understand the problem and don’t care to solve it.

3. They simply don’t care to solve the problem.

What is impeding the solution?

What if it is true that all problems are created by people and all problems start out simplistically.

Simplistic statements are typically overstated, shallow and trite. They serve the speaker and can foster avoidance and lack of responsibility. Statements such as, “hard work beats talent when talent works hard”. When put to the test, fails 50% of the time. Why? One reason it is doesn’t account for when we work hard at the wrong thing.

When solutions are simple, things get done. However, don’t confuse “simple” with “easy”. The real Silver Bullet is the “simple thing”. When solutions become simple, folks are now responsible for taking action which exposes their will. Folks that don’t really want to do the work to create change, strive for and hope to maintain convolution.

I live by six Core Values that help me not succumb to the trite statement, “hard work beats talent when talent works hard”.

The 6-Core Values are …

1. Excellence is setting and meeting expectations.

2. Humility is thinking of others more than yourself without thinking less of yourself.

3. Integrity is doing the right thing even when you can do the wrong thing.

4. Loyalty is doing the right thing even when it is unpopular.

5. Stewardship is protection of values, beliefs and people.

6. And finally, teamwork, being your best within a group of people that are being their best for a specific purpose.

The airplane was a Silver Bullet for transportation. The internet, the Silver Bullet for information. How about the telephone? A Silver Bullet for communication. What problems do you see today? Acknowledge the answer may be simple and require us to deal with our will to act.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of L.E.A.D. (Launch, Expose, Advise, Direct) and we use baseball as a vehicle to empower an at-risk generation to lead and transform their city of Atlanta. We empower our Ambassadors to fight against crime, racism and poverty.

The nay-sayers and cynics respond to this by saying that there is no bullet for fighting crime, racism and poverty and my response is simply, L.E.A.D.

Photo by Jason Getz

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L.E.A.D., Inc. | L.E.A.D. Center For Youth