Lead change. lead forward.

28. Before this year it was a random number to me. No significance whatsoever. Standing here today, 28 is the most important number of this year. A number that will now forever be associated with change. Every year features the ending of the old and the coming of the new, but this year the shifts have seemed seismic. 

When I tell people that I run a non-profit called LEAD Charlotte, and that I work with dozens of teenage boys, one of the questions they typically resort to is why do I do it? I have my 30 second elevator answer, my 30 minute out to dinner answer, and even my “I think you only asked that to be polite” answer. But the truth is I have many reasons and no reason all at once. When you are called to do something, you answer, and you trust the process. Plain and simple. But what happens when the process seems to be completely failing? 

On May 28th, I became the Executive Director of LEAD Charlotte quite suddenly. I was now not only responsible for the day-to-day operations of our program and the nearly 60 students who walk in our doors each week, but I was now responsible for the marketing, the finances, and the legal. Although the transition was sudden, it was not wholly unexpected or unwelcome. 

Some changes are a breath of fresh air. A new perspective. The summer was full of hope. A new board of directors, a renewed sense of vision and mission, an aggressive fundraising plan, and even an LLC from which our students could run their suddenly rapidly growing small businesses. The era of LEAD Charlotte had arrived. 

August 28th. The first Wednesday of the school year. All of our seniors were back in the house buzzing with the excitement of a final trip around the clock. Sitting in my office while with several seniors I casually opened a letter that would change everything. It was from the IRS, but I expected it to simply confirm our address change. Instead, it was a notification that due to clerical errors from the previous year, we would no longer be able to raise funds. Some changes seem to only carry darkness. This was a gut punch, the hope from the summer replaced by an emptiness. By that Sunday I had decided that LEAD would close. This was one obstacle too many, the setback that would serve as the nail in the coffin. 

Months later LEAD is still here; I am still here. What made the difference? Why do I still do it? Each year with our freshmen I give them the three words: Anger, Fear and Hope. I ask them which of these emotions is the strongest motivator. In an era of political division, typically they will choose one of the two negative emotions. It’s all they know. It’s all they are given from the leaders they see. But the answer is Hope. With the winds of hope in your sails, you can cross oceans that seem unconquerable. 

LEAD is still here because our students, past and present, refused to give up. After hearing about the setback, they rallied, rekindling the fire that had been blown out. It quickly became clear that the most effective solution would be to start fresh. To lay LEAD Charlotte aside. Nine years of legacy. Over 40 graduates. Change is not easy, but it is essential to growth. And so the process of transitioning to a new name began. 

Our core values remain the same. Our commitment to raising up a new generation of leaders in East Charlotte is still as steadfast. Our focus on bridging divides to increase social capital and create business opportunities continues strong. Our impact on the families who plant in the community garden, or the kids who attend our sports camps will remain. Our success in helping students maximize their academic potential will still be proven. The bonds of brotherhood which LEAD creates year after year will stay unbreakable. 

Welcome to character driven leadership. Welcome to ambitious entrepreneurship. Welcome to academic achievement. Welcome to family. Welcome to hope. Welcome to the new LEAD Forward.