Transform from leader to steward to drive growth and make an impact Inspiring Stewardship helps leaders drive sustainable development and growth by balancing short- and long-term objectives amidst competing interests. By examining a range of exceptional individual and organisational stewards alongside insights from quantitative studies, this book unlocks the contributions you can make to enhance your influence and secure your legacy. Profiles of leaders from Ratan Tata to Bill Gates illustrate what stewardship really means, and the attributes and characteristics of steward leaders. Are they fundamentally different? Where do they get their exceptional drive and resilience? Why do they shoulder such huge responsibility? Risks, rewards, motivations and actions are explored in depth to give you a real-world view of stewardship, and to show you how to embody these principles in your own everyday life. The notion of stewardship has never been more relevant to business than it is today, as managers struggle to balance present and future interests. This book provides clarity, direction and guidance for more purpose-driven action. * Understand the concepts and principles of stewardship * Discover characteristics of steward leaders across cultures * Learn how stewards have shifted the course of their organisations * Examine the capabilities that deepen organisational resilience Today, ownership of firms is increasingly fragmented, investment structures are more and more complex and the time horizons of investors, executives and owners do not always coincide. Inspiring Stewardship helps you break through the tension and drive sustainable growth through adaptability and good leadership.
Acknowledgments vii About the Authors ix Introduction 1 PART I Why Stewardship? Chapter 1 Stewardship at Work 11 Chapter 2 Stewardship Principles 31 Chapter 3 Steward Leaders Inspire 55 PART II What Drives Stewardship? Chapter 4 Stewardship Values and Beliefs 71 Chapter 5 Personality Traits and Attitudes of Steward Leaders 87 PART III Stewardship in Action Chapter 6 Stewardship Actions 103 Chapter 7 Becoming a Steward Leader What It Takes 115 Chapter 8 Pitfalls of Stewardship 139 PART IV Looking Forward Chapter 9 Fostering Stewardship 159 Appendix A: The Research 165 References 181 Index 197
