Sneak peek: LeadNow!
Lead Now! — Essays for Emerging Teen Leaders
Want to grow as a leader? Not someday. Not when you’re older. Now.
This series, Lead Now!, is built for students, athletes, artists, thinkers, introverts, extroverts—and just about anyone ready to lead with heart and character. Each short essay (read time: under 7 minutes) is designed to do three things:
✅ Teach something true.
✅ Coach you to grow.
✅ Change the way you think—just a little (or a lot).
Leadership isn’t about titles, trophies, or being the loudest in the room. It’s about mindset, ownership, and the kind of growth that starts on the inside.
Here’s a sneak peek at all ten essays in the series:
1. Grit
Leadership doesn’t start with applause—it starts with resilience. Whether you’re on a Harlem basketball court or at your kitchen table, this essay unpacks how grit isn’t loud—it’s consistent. And for any leader? That’s everything.
2. Acceptance
Before you lead others, you have to accept yourself. This one’s about trading self-doubt for honest confidence—and realizing that knowing who you are is actually a superpower.
3. Confidence
Confidence doesn’t mean being fearless—it means being prepared. From a biblical giant to real-life student stories, this essay shows how confidence grows in the overlap of risk, effort, and belief.
4. Voice
Your voice isn’t just sound—it’s presence, perspective, and leadership in motion. This piece helps you find your voice, trust it, and use it to lift others—not just fill space.
5. Attitude
Mood comes and goes. Attitude? That’s what sticks. This essay explores how your mindset shapes trust, presence, and whether people want to follow your lead—or walk the other way.
6. Superpowers
Spoiler: You don’t have to do it all. Great leaders know their strengths and invite others into the mission. This one introduces four leadership “superpowers” (yes, you have one) and shows how collaboration beats control—every time.
7. Mentoring
Mentorship isn’t complicated. It’s about showing up. Through paint closets and tennis programs, this essay shows how mentorship works both ways—and how presence is sometimes the most powerful gift.
8. No Excuses
Most of us don’t lack time or talent—we just let excuses win. This one’s your friendly wake-up call to stop waiting and start leading. No permission slip needed.
9. Discipline
Discipline isn’t punishment—it’s personal leadership. This essay reframes discipline as maturity in action, showing how habits (yes, even laundry) are the quiet backbone of every impactful leader.
10. Teachable
Being teachable is the one leadership trait that holds all the others together. If you're willing to stay curious, humble, and open, you’ll keep growing long after the applause fades.
Final Word
These essays aren’t designed to give you all the answers. They’re written to get you asking better questions, taking honest inventory, and stepping into the kind of leadership that lasts.
You don’t need a title to lead. You just need to begin.
And if you're reading this? You already have