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We prayed and we marched because it works

December 15, 2014 by C.J. Stewart

This afternoon, I had the pleasure of marching to seek peace for the city of Atlanta and the country along with my fellow members of Elizabeth Baptist Church (EBC).

Dr. Craig L. Oliver led over 834 Elizabeth Baptist Church members for a 3.5 mile March from our Atlanta location. Along the march we had several pastors from our church praying for peace for our city of Atlanta as well as our country.

I was fortunate to march in the rear along with my wife Kelli Stewart, daughters (Mackenzi and Mackenna) as well as a few of our L.E.A.D. Ambassadors.

God bless Dr. Oliver for his vision and leadership.

Marching worked successfully “back in the day” and can work now also when it is done intentionally. Everyone that knows about Elizabeth Baptist Church knows that we are intentional.

With so much chaos in our country, there is plenty to pray about while marching.

As a dedicated member of EBC, I vow to continue to serve Atlanta with excellence through L.E.A.D. (Launch, Expose, Advise, Direct).

Thank you EBC for your vision, modeling of excellence, prayers and continued support of L.E.A.D.

Why and how I fight for productivity

December 12, 2014 by C.J. Stewart

I’ve always had high aspirations and standards for myself yet being unproductive looms over me because I’m human. Awareness, accountability and action help me be productive.

When I’m productive, I learn well. When I’m productive, I serve well. When I’m productive, I love well.

Awareness

We all have blind spots, and the best way to counter being unproductive is to be aware of them. The blind spots that prevent me from being productive are arrogance, stubbornness and failure to actively listen.

Accountability

Without having people in your life that you can trust, you will never be productive. I keep trusted people around me that will hold me accountable. They often tell me what I don’t want to hear, but I trust them. They want me to be productive because when I am, I can learn well, serve well and love well.

Action

Sometimes I get so focused on being perfect that I fail to get started. Being productive begins with getting started.

What prevents you from being productive?

What serves as a catalyst for your productive behavior?

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Have we reached 1st round draft pick status yet?

December 1, 2014 by C.J. Stewart

If you are an Atlanta Falcons fan, let’s face it, this is not quite the season you had in mind. On paper, the Falcons have a lot of offensive weapons and you would assume that they could score enough points to win every Sunday. However, the reality is that the Falcons currently have a record of 5-7, mediocre at best.

The City of Atlanta also looks good on paper as well, but we are tanking in a war that we can’t afford to lose.

According to the Atlanta Metro Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta ranks third in the nation among cities with the most FORTUNE 500 Headquarters, according to the 2012 FORTUNE list. Since Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, the city has consistently ranked in the top five cities with the most FORTUNE 500 Headquarters. Twenty-six metro Atlanta headquartered companies placed among the latest FORTUNE 1,000, of which thirteen are among the FORTUNE 500. Fourteen FORTUNE 1,000 companies headquartered in metro Atlanta ranked higher on the FORTUNE list than in 2011. Metro Atlanta’s headquartered FORTUNE 1,000 companies generated aggregate revenues of $321.2 billion, of which 90 percent was attributed to the FORTUNE 500.

With all of that said, Georgia ranks at the bottom in America in education, while America ranks at the bottom in the world.

Georgia ranks number one in America for incarceration, while America ranks number one in the world.

Atlanta Public Schools serves 50,000+ students K-12 while 80% of those students live at or below the poverty level and 60% of black males don’t graduate from high school (at all or on time). In addition, 80% of Georgia’s Prison population consists of youth from inner-city Atlanta zip codes 30310, 30315 and 30318. One more thing, Georgia leads America with the most non-profits per state. Excuse my sarcasm here – how badly do we need to fail our children in order to get people to the table whose sole agenda is the empowerment of our children?

Members of the 2014-2015 Ambassador Class w/ Mike Hobbs (Partner, Troutman Sanders)

If we’re willing to be transparent, we all have agendas in Atlanta, including me. My agenda through L.E.A.D. (Launch, Expose, Advise, Direct) is to empower an at risk generation to lead and transform their City of Atlanta. As we continue to be successful as an organization, our L.E.A.D. Ambassadors will lead Atlanta to lead the world.

We have a lot of people in Atlanta doing a lot of great things while black males continue to drop out of high school and go to jail. How can this be?

Atlanta has earned the title ‘the City too busy to hate’. Unfortunately, we also seem to be the City too busy to support and scale programs that are actually on the ground floor, in the trenches and getting results.

Like the new Georgia Dome coming out of the ground on the Vine City horizon – it’s time to Rise Up.

For children this time and not just for profit.

Click here to check out L.E.A.D.’s impact stats.

I’m thankful

November 27, 2014 by C.J. Stewart

Everyday is a day of thanksgiving. I especially enjoy celebrating the holiday Thanksgiving because it causes a pause in the world so that Jesus can get the spotlight.

I’m most thankful today for being a follower of Christ as well as having a sound mind and health. It is truly an honor and privilege to be the husband of an amazing wife Kelli Stewart as well as being the father of Mackenzi and Mackenna Stewart.

I thank God for my parents, grandparents, siblings, additional family members, love ones and friends.

Thank you God for allowing me to be born and raised in a country that allows me to freely speak your name.

I’m thankful that I can lead Atlanta with the L.E.A.D. Ambassadors as well as your support.

Thank you Jesus for your continued mercy and grace.

Amen.

The common denominator

November 24, 2014 by C.J. Stewart

In a quest to be the most effective leader I can be, I intentionally surround myself with heroes. Sergeant Edward “Sonny” Fincher is a hero and here’s why.

Sonny Fincher, A.K.A. Sarge, is a 64-year-old white male who was raised in poverty in the inner city of Macon, GA. He dropped out of high school, entered the draft and served in the Vietnam War. The military presented a framework for success that Sarge had never been a part of before. With the new opportunities that were ahead of him, he earned his high school diploma in addition to advanced degrees and enjoyed a rewarding career in the military.

Fast forward post military career.

Sarge became a leader in the Athens, GA community by way of the JROTC program at Cedar Shoals High School. He has developed hundreds of impactful leaders. It’s my pleasure to highlight three leaders who call Sarge “Dad”.

Kelli Stewart is the executive director of L.E.A.D., Inc. (Launch, Expose, Advise, Direct), an Atlanta based, Pathway2Empowerment, non-profit organization that serves up to 500 Black middle and high school aged males in the Atlanta Public School System. Click here to see the impact of L.E.A.D.

Marieo Foster is Chief of the Law Enforcement Division for the Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 400,000 active duty service members, veterans and their families. Service to country is the common thread that binds all who are remembered and honored at Arlington. In addition, Marieo has served as a Federal Air Marshal and in various leadership roles within the Department of Defense and The Pentagon.

Edrick Smith is a warrant officer for the United States Navy.

All of these individuals faced unfortunate challenges on their journey through childhood to adulthood. Challenges that were much more serious than who they were going to take to prom or where they were going for spring break. These challenges often threatened their very survival. So how were they able to overcome and break through their circumstances? What was the common denominator to these individuals’ success? Or better yet, who?

Sergeant Fincher.

Left to right: Kelli Stewart, CJ Stewart Marieo Foster, and Sarge

When I asked Sarge how he changed the lives of so many young people, he gave me these absolutes: love, care and chastening. Through these absolutes he was able to impart confidence, earn respect and thus be a person of influence and significance in the lives of hundreds of students.

As I sat in the Fincher home today and listened to Marieo and Kelli tell stories about their journey with Sarge, and how his influence still guides and empowers them to this day, I felt like I was listening to children recall stories about their father.

And indeed, I was.

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