THE LEADER WITHIN: Think before you squeeze: WHAT ARE YOU PUTTING OUT? Today in The Leader Within, we used two tubes of toothpaste to learn a powerful lesson about leadership. When pressure is applied, what's inside comes out. And once the toothpaste is out, you can't put it back in! The same is true of our words and actions. When we're frustrated, angry, disappointed, or under pressure, what comes out of us matters. 💡 What did we learn? • Think before you speak or act. You can't always take back what you say or do. • Pressure reveals what comes out of us. How do we respond when things don't go our way? • Our actions have consequences. Even when we apologize, there can still be residue left behind. • Leadership requires responsibility. We must own our choices and be intentional about what we put out into the world. Just like toothpaste leaves residue behind, our words and actions can leave lasting impressions on others. An apology matters, but it doesn't always erase the impact. As leaders, we must ask ourselves: What am I putting out, especially when pressure is applied? Remember, leadership isn't just about what you say when things are going well. It's also about how you respond when things get difficult. The Leader Within: Think before you squeeze! 🦷💯 #TheLeaderWithin #LeadershipMatters #ThinkBeforeYouSqueeze

THE LEADER WITHIN 🔥🦁 Today, we had a real conversation about leadership. What—and WHO—do we think leaders are? Can leaders be both positive AND negative? Do we see ourselves as leaders, or do we only recognize leadership in other people? And then we asked an even deeper question: WHOSE VOICE ARE YOU LISTENING TO? 👂🏽 There are so many voices competing for our attention—friends, social media, fear, pressure, opinions, expectations, and sometimes even our own doubts. As leaders, we have to ask ourselves: Who am I leading? And who am I allowing to lead me? Sometimes leadership means stepping out front. Sometimes leadership means knowing who to follow until you're ready to lead. Today, we put that lesson into action with a blindfolded maze challenge. One person had to navigate obstacles without seeing, while another had to guide them using only their voice. Because leadership requires trust, communication, listening, patience, and knowing which voice to follow. We worked through these lessons in The Leader Within book, but more importantly, we practiced them. Leadership isn't just about being in front. Leadership starts with learning how to listen. 🔥 There is a leader within you. The question is: WHO are you listening to? #TheLeaderWithin #LeadershipMatters #LeadToServe

THIS IS WHY THE LEADER WITHIN MATTERS. This morning, two young men who don’t have a dad or father figure asked ME to go with them to Donuts with Dad. One was part of The Leader Within last year. The other is in this year’s group. To be trusted enough to be a role model, mentor, and father figure—and for them to ask me to stand in the gap on such a special day—means more to me than money ever could. That’s impact. And honestly, it brought things full circle for me. There were moments when I wasn’t able to be there with my own son the way I wanted to be. So standing there for these young men this morning was both a blessing to them and to me. I’m humbled to stand in the gap. I’m honored to be trusted. And I’m grateful to be a small part of their story. The Leader Within is so much more than a group. It’s a lifestyle. Everyone can lead because everyone can serve. #TheLeaderWithin #Mentorship #FatherFigure #DonutsWithDad

🔥 YEAR 3. A BRAND-NEW GROUP. A BRAND-NEW BEGINNING. 🔥 Today we kicked off Year 3 of The Leader Within at Cornerstone, and I couldn't be more excited about what’s ahead. A brand-new group of young leaders walked into the room today—and before I told them what The Leader Within was about, I gave them a lesson without saying much at all. I brought in an empty PS5 box. 🎮 Of course, they assumed there was a PS5 inside. So I asked them: “How do you know?” That opened the door to one of the most important lessons I could give them: You cannot always determine what’s inside by looking at the outside. People will look at your clothes, your attitude, your grades, your mistakes, your past, or even one bad decision and decide they already know who you are. But they don't know what's inside. And sometimes, we make that same mistake with ourselves. That's why The Leader Within exists. To help these young men discover what is actually inside of them—not what people assume is inside of them. To develop it. To strengthen it. To put it to work. I also shared a little of my own story—being shy, struggling with a stutter, and actually trying to avoid leadership—only to discover that sometimes the thing you're trying to run from is connected to the thing you're called to become. This isn't just another school group. We're going to talk about leadership, character, choices, accountability, confidence, purpose, pressure, how we treat people, and most importantly—WHO WE ARE BECOMING. And I told them: “You don't have to walk in here believing you're a leader. That's what we're here to discover.” Year 3 is officially underway. 🙌🏾 New faces. New stories. New potential. Same mission. DON'T LET SOMEBODY ELSE'S OPINION OF YOUR BOX BECOME YOUR DEFINITION OF WHAT'S INSIDE. Because everybody can lead… because everybody can serve. The Leader Within — Year 3. Let's find out what's inside. 🦁🔥 #TheLeaderWithin #TLW #Year3

📚 YEAR 3 of The Leader Within! 🦁🔥 Today, another student—Charles—bought a copy of The Leader Within. And honestly, moments like this mean more to me than I can put into words. This Friday, Year 3 officially kicks off, and to see students trust me enough to join this group AND invest in the book is amazing. Because Charles didn’t just buy a book… He invested in himself. 💯 I never take moments like this for granted. The opportunity to pour into these young men, watch them grow, and hopefully help them discover the leader that’s already within them is a blessing. Year 3… LET’S GO! 🦁🔥 #TheLeaderWithin #CalledToLeadBuiltToServe #Leadership #InvestInYourself #Year3