Last week, I interviewed Erin Sexson, Senior Vice President of Global Sustainability for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. Erin is going to be featured in one of the upcoming installments of the “Lead Human” series that I am writing for SmartBrief. Much of our pre-interview conversation focused on our time together on the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Council. We were talking about the fact that stewardship was a word that the farmers often used in those early Council discussions. A word that at first rang out as a little old school, but over time took on a much deeper meaning. I have been thinking about that word all week.
We were talking about the fact that stewardship was a word that the farmers often used in those early Council discussions
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines stewardship as; the activity or job of protecting and being responsible for something. I like to take that definition one step further. To me, stewardship is also leaving something better than you found it. Let’s combine the two. Stewardship is the activity or job of being responsible for, protecting, and leaving something better than you found it. Sounds a lot like Leadership, does it not?
To me, stewardship is also leaving something better than you found it.
A lot of what is written or discussed about leadership focuses on influence, innovation and vision. Those, however, are merely tools or tactics. Don’t get me wrong, they are all very important and are critical to success. Yet, at its core, leadership is about being responsible for and protecting the organization, its people, and the results. Leadership is about moving things forward, leaving them better than they were before. This applies to the General on the battlefield, the President of a nation, or the head of a department. Leadership requires stewardship.
Yet, at its core, leadership is about being responsible for and protecting the organization, its people, and the results.
Stewardship is often associated with the Triple Bottom Line (3BL), a concept developed in 1994 by John Elkington. A 3BL orientation places focus on economic, social and environmental sustainability. In my opinion, such a focus is the hallmark of good leadership. A leader must make sure that the actions taken by the organization and its people support each of the three legs of the 3BL stool. If any one of them is out of balance, the organization cannot stand on its own, and its viability would be questionable.
A leader must make sure that the actions taken by the organization and its people support each of the three legs of the 3BL stool.
Ultimately, leadership is about getting things done through others. A good steward, as mentioned earlier, leaves things better than they were before. This again is where stewardship and leadership intersect. The most effective leaders are those that get things done while building others up. Their aim is to help people acquire new skills, and develop a deeper sense of self-confidence and self-worth. A good leader makes those around them better. A good leader is a good steward of their people.
The most effective leaders are those that get things done while building others up.
Describing leadership in one word serves no real purpose other than enticing you to read this article and to, hopefully, open a dialogue about its content in the comment section below. But, if I were to choose one word, it would be stewardship. Leadership is the activity or job of being responsible for, protecting, and leaving something better than you found it. It is stewardship!
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Elliot Begoun is the Principal of The Intertwine Group. His articles appear in publications such as the Huffington Post, SmartBrief and Linked2Leadership. He serves as a thinking partner, providing clients with the clarity, focus, and tools needed to make good people and product decisions. He helps clients build lasting relationships with their customers, develop leaders who make others feel heard, cared for, valued and respected, and most importantly grow.
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