“To understand the road ahead, ask those coming back. Success leaves clues”. That is my favorite Chinese proverb. Since a young age, I was told to be a leader. I wasn’t shown what leadership was truly about until I was given the opportunity to serve others. Leadership is often times used as a general term when expressed to youth to simply not get in trouble.
L.E.A.D.’s definition of leadership is service. Under my leadership, my young men have an opportunity to serve once per month every month throughout the year. This is how they pay their way to L.E.A.D. and to society. Being in L.E.A.D. for some is an answer to their prayers. Georgia graduates 43% of it’s black males from high school.
This inate attitude of leadership as an action word for me has always been inspired by some great Atlantans. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ambassador Andrew Young and Mr Hank Aaron have displayed an unmeasurable amount of leadership that the world has noticed for decades. I am fortunate to make my dreams become a reality in the same city that these men call(ed) home.
How awesome it would be for me to tell Dr. King that I started the first middle school baseball program in the same Atlanta Public School System that educated him. How awesome it would be for me to tell Ambassador young that the elite level for the young men in L.E.A.D. are called Ambassadors in his honor. 100% of them have graduated from high school and enrolled in college and 87% have received scholarships. How awesome it would be to let Hank Aaron know that I appreciate his accomplishments on the field and I am truly inspired by his front office position with the Atlanta Braves. This inspired me for the 2nd year to take 90 L.E.A.D. Middle School School Baseball Development League Leaders to Turner Field to get an up close look at how the front office prepares us to see our Honorary Ambassador Jason Heyward on the field.
I will continue to push forward to use L.E.A.D. to help my Leaders and Ambassadors use baseball to access college. We have successfully done this since 2007 with a 100% success rate. I can’t do better than 100% but I can serve more students in Atlanta. Leadership is an ACTION word so that is exactly what I will do with our L.E.A.D. supporters.
To understand the road ahead, ask those coming back. Success leaves clues. I have one question for you Ambassador Young and Mr. Aaron. How do I lead this next generation of leaders?
