David Steward leaned against the family cow as he milked her, his hands automatically squeezing left, right, left, right. This was his final chore of the day; he’d already cleaned out the barn and fed the pigs and cow.
The twelve-year-old tried not to think about morning chores awaiting him in just twelve hours: emptying the chamber pots, milking the cow again, then collecting the ashes from the potbelly stove and spreading them on the driveway to create traction.
His only consolation was, his seven siblings had their chores too.
David trudged back to the house. He could smell collard greens frying in bacon grease, the pork and beans simmering in the Dutch oven, and cornbread browning in the skillet.
It wasn’t a fancy supper-spread, but all ten of them got enough to eat, thanks to Daddy’s hard work and the whole family pitching in on the farm.
Daddy should have made enough money to support them. He’d been trained as a master mechanic while living in Chicago in the 1930s and ‘40s. But now it was 1963 and the family resided in Mama’s hometown of Clinton, Missouri—a segregated town—and the Stewards were Black. Many businesses didn’t hire people of color.
So Daddy took whatever work he could find as a personal mechanic, nightwatchman, and part-time policeman. He managed a janitorial service, transported coal or trash, even tended bar at parties.
Daddy and Mama could have been bitter; but David and his siblings saw them demonstrate Christian love and kindness, grace and forgiveness, strength and resolve.
Times were changing however; segregation was finally outlawed in 1964. David was among the first Blacks allowed to swim in the community pool.
The next year David started high school and made the basketball team. Four years later he was playing for Central Missouri State University, and after proving himself, earned a sport scholarship. In 1973 he graduated with a degree in business administration.
Over the next eight years, David worked for several companies, including the Missouri Pacific Railroad and Federal Express. In each position David learned skills related to manufacturing, marketing, accounting, sales, and more.
While senior account executive at Federal Express he earned the Salesman of the Year Award and received a trophy—a silver ice bucket engraved with his initials. David looked inside and was struck by its emptiness. Is this all I want out of life? he thought.
The answer was no. He’d long dreamed of owning his own company and managing it with biblical principles. He and his wife Thelma had faith that now was the time—even with their family of four to support.
In 1984, David launched Transportation Business Specialists, putting to use the lessons he’d learned at Missouri Pacific Railroad. His new company audited bills and overcharges for the rail industry.
Another company was launched in 1987, Transport Administrative Service, and finally, in 1990, World Wide Technology, Inc., to help companies use technology for solving business-related problems.
Success did not come quickly. And though David always made sure his employees received their paychecks, sometimes his family went without.
But he didn’t give up. David wrote: “What we were doing for our employees and customers was meaningful. I had faith that our company was capable of providing exceptional value” [1].
A unique opportunity presented itself in 1995. U.S. troops in Bosnia needed specialized computer software, so David’s company developed a program customized to their needs. They provided the hardware also.
That success led to the development of more applications for additional functions, useful to other government entities. A company that began with a $2000 investment and a handful of employees is now a Fortune 500 company (#71), bringing in twenty billion dollars in annual revenue and employing 10,000 people [2].
In the early 2000s, the Stewards’ pastor asked them to lead a Bible study about doing business God’s way. That led to a book, Doing Business by the Good Book: Timeless Principles for Making an Eternal Impact (2004).
The overall theme: strong leadership is love, expressed by serving others—employees and their families, customers and associates, as well as your own family.
David considers his company his ministry as he applies biblical principles in the workplace.
Eighty-six percent of his employees say World Wide Technology is a great place to work [3].
David also sees himself as an ambassador for Christ in the business world. He keeps one scripture-based goal in mind.
Every day David asks the question:
“Am I living my life worthy of the sacrifice that was made on my behalf”[4]?
That’s a profitable question for each of us. May we all—no matter our place in life—answer with a joy-filled YES!
David L. Steward (1951 – )
[1] Doing Business by the Good Book, 2004, quoted by https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/biography/ S-Z/Steward-David-L-1951.html
[2] https://www.wwt.com/corporate/why-wwt/overview
[3] https://www.greatplacetowork.com/certified-company/1100933
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCtItBwZEEU (Steward, 3:36-3:46)
Other sources:
1. https://www2.cbn.com/article/not-selected/david-steward-building-business
2. https://horatioalger.org/members/detail/david-l-steward/
3. https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/biography/S-Z/Steward-David-L-1951.html#google_vignette
4. https://coinnounce.com/the-success-story-of-david-steward-second-richest-black-man-in-the-us/
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From the Inside Out 