Andrey Ivanov

What’s failing in this generation isn’t them. It’s us.

We—the “all-knowing,” “experienced,” “wise” leaders—are the ones who fell asleep at the wheel. Somewhere along the road of responsibility, we dozed off, lulled by comfort, distraction, or the illusion that “our part was done.” We got caught up in our own success, our own busyness, and stopped doing the very thing we were once proud of—leading.

Now, all over society, I hear the same tired tune:

“These kids today… always on their phones.”

“They don’t want to work.”

“They’re entitled. Lazy. Soft.”

But I don’t hear many taking responsibility.

Leadership is not about standing on a stage and talking big. It’s about owning what’s broken—and being the first to rebuild it. As John Maxwell said just this week, “Organizations rise and fall on leadership.” That principle applies to our homes, our schools, our businesses, our churches, and our nation. It applies to us.

If we were really so amazing back then—so full of grit, strength, and vision—then where’s the fruit of it now?

If our generation was truly “awesome,” then why didn’t that awesomeness create more awesome?

The answer is hard to swallow: somewhere along the path, we stumbled. We neglected this generation. And now we have the audacity to point fingers, scoff, and criticize them for the very behaviors that grew in the soil of our absence.

Shame on us.

But here’s the good news—we’re not staying in shame. We’re taking ownership.

We’ve gone back to the root—the core. We’ve begun rebuilding what we failed to protect: vision, structure, leadership, and purpose.

That’s why we created a pipeline that starts as young as five years old—Junior Warrior Training—teaching boys and girls to take ownership of their actions, lead with integrity, and serve their communities with pride. By their teens, they’re entering The Spartan Challenge, being forged into disciplined, responsible, and confident young adults who know how to carry weight and face adversity. After that, we move into Spartan Advanced Leadership Training (SALT)—where real-life mission execution, emotional resilience, and civic impact are at the center.

And it doesn’t stop there.

From there, these young leaders are apprenticing with ethical business owners, launching their careers, building affordable homes through our Housing Incubator Project, and being mentored into entrepreneurs and change-makers through our BEST (Building Equity and Sustainable Transformation) Collaborative.

We’re not just saying “they can do better.”
We’re saying we must do better, and we are doing better—together.

This isn’t about placing blame. It’s about reclaiming responsibility.

It’s about waking up at the wheel, locking eyes with the generation we almost lost, and saying:

“We see you.
We believe in you.
And we’re building a future—with you in it.”

Let’s raise the standard again.

Let’s make “awesome” contagious.

Let’s stop scoffing and start showing up.

Because this generation isn’t lost.

They’re waiting.

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#LeadershipMatters #TheSpartanChallenge #JuniorWarriorTraining #FlashLove #WeCanDoBetter #RaisingTheStandard #OwnTheFuture

-Andrey Ivanov