I am C.J. Stewart. What you’re reading is my personal perspective-not the official voice of LEAD Center For Youth, the nonprofit I co-founded with my wife, Kelli Stewart. These are my reflections, formed from lived experience, spiritual conviction, and intellectual clarity.
And what I know is this:
Perspective can change everything.
In 2020, I earned a Systems Thinking Certificate from Cornell University (eCornell). That experience reframed my approach to what we call wicked problems.
A wicked problem, as defined by eCornell, is “a social or cultural issue that is difficult or impossible to solve for as many as four reasons: incomplete or contradictory knowledge, the number of people and opinions involved, the large economic burden, and the interconnected nature of these problems with other problems.”
Wicked problems are everywhere-racism, poverty, broken education systems-and they can’t be tackled with surface solutions. They demand deep thinking and personal responsibility.
I learned to use the DSRP framework:
- Distinctions – What is it? What is it not?
- Systems – What’s it part of? What are its parts?
- Relationships – How do things affect each other?
- Perspectives – Who’s looking, and from where?
A quick story in my voice:
When I first started coaching in Bankhead, I thought I was just teaching baseball. But one kid-no glove, no gear, all grit-asked me, “Coach, why you care so much?”
That question made me stop.
I realized I wasn’t just coaching-I was mentoring. I had made a distinction between what I was doing and what I thought I was doing. That young man wasn’t just part of a team-he was part of a system, and our relationship mattered. His perspective changed mine. That’s systems thinking in action.
Now I’m building a personal framework rooted in the letter F-a tool to help me navigate life and lead others with authenticity.
Feelings. Facts. False. Future.
We start with feelings, because ignoring them only leads to frustration.
Once we understand each other’s feelings, we can separate what’s fact from what’s false, and then build a meaningful future together.
This is also the pathway from conviction to connection, from consensus to collaboration, and ultimately toward change-not just surface change, but character-forming, soul-stretching change.
A big part of my calling is mentorship. But mentorship alone isn’t enough.
Mentorship without sponsorship is unfair.
I mentor people to sponsor them-either personally or by advocating for them with others.
Because it’s not enough to teach someone what to do if you don’t also help them get the chance to do it.
That’s why I coach. And here’s my definition of a coach:
A coach is someone who cultivates growth, creates opportunities, advances progress, builds confidence, and harmonizes a shared journey of learning.
Let’s pause on confidence for a moment.
Here’s the truth:
Confidence is based on what you’ve done. Belief is based on what you think you can do.
That’s the difference between facts and faith.
You gain confidence through experience, which is why I believe:
Information + Experience = Knowledge
Application of Knowledge = Power
That’s the cycle. That’s the work.
People need to be mentored to gain knowledge, and then sponsored so they can apply it.
At The Lovett School, Reverend Colin Brown told the seniors-including my daughter Mackenna-to “remember who you are and whose you are.”
That struck me.
So let me tell you who I am:
- I’m a follower of Christ.
- I’ve been given the spiritual gifts of prophecy and hospitality.
- My earthly gift is coaching.
- I love God, I love my wife Kelli, I love my daughters Mackenzi and Mackenna.
- And I love myself enough to keep growing.
I admire James Baldwin. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Bishop Craig L. Oliver. Reverend Colin Brown.
Each of them a writer. A speaker. A guide.
I’m realizing that my future may rest in the same space-writing and speaking in ways that create space for:
- Dialogue – to explore
- Discussion – to understand
- Debate – to challenge
Here’s my ask for you:
Don’t just mentor people. Sponsor them.
And don’t wait to be mentored-seek it out.
Ask yourself: Who’s guiding me? Who’s opening doors for me? And who am I guiding and opening doors for in return?
Because we rise not just by lifting ourselves, but by learning, leading, and lifting together.
I want to be free.
I want to be heard.
I want to be alive.
Featured photo taken by iSmooth