Stewardship: A Noble Act of Leadership

We take care of the things we care for. This is called stewardship.

In its simplest form, stewardship is an act of leadership. So much so that the authors of US Army leadership doctrine go to great lengths to explain the importance of stewardship as it applies to Army leaders. While stewardship certainly applies to how leaders manage resources and supervise organizational administration efforts, the greatest emphasis is on stewarding people. After all, the Army, or the military profession, is about people: It’s a people business.

But the importance of stewardship doesn’t apply solely to Army leaders. Chances are that you’re in the people business too. If you care about your organization and your profession, then you care for your people? So, what are you doing to take care of them?

In answering this question, you might have immediately thought about the excellent savings programs, bonuses, and other incentives you provide to those on your team. These are all great things, but the type of stewardship I want you to consider is that which strikes at the heart of your people. Leaders who take their role as stewards seriously serve as teachers, coaches, and mentors to those they lead. As a result of the relationships they form, these leaders’ roles as a stewards outlast their title or position of leadership. Leaders who serve as true stewards of their people even continue to make a positive impact on others (and on their profession) in retirement.

Retirement? What’s that? I joke, but the truth is that someday…yes, it’s true…you will retire. And when you do, if you’ve led right, your role as a steward will continue. You’ll continue to make a positive impact on those you care for and the profession you love. In essence, you’ll continue to lead in the most noble and selfless way possible.

We take care of the things we care for. This is called stewardship.

Stewardship: A Noble Act of Leadership was originally published in Horizon Performance on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.