Stewardship As Service
3 MARCH 2014 | ADULT FAITH NEWS
By Christine Cameron
Stewardship is one of the ten core characteristics of servant leadership (Spears, 1998). A leader who values stewardship is a custodian of nature and steward of the sacredness of life (Sims, 1997). McCuddy and Pirie (2007) maintain that ‘stewardship has both secular and spiritual implications.’ They interpret stewardship as ‘a mechanism of service to others …it clearly revolves around service to ... [humankind].’ This service involves looking after all resources human and non-human, ‘that God has entrusted to our care’ and maintaining these resources to benefit all generations. These sentiments are endorsed by Pope Francis who on the occasion of formally beginning his papacy in March 2013 in his homily called on leaders in all fields ‘to protect people and the environment.’
To have a sense of stewardship is to have an awareness of the sense of connectedness that exists between the inner self and the world. In these changing times this type of leadership is being referred to as a new ecology of leadership where leaders are encouraged to have a global perspective whereby they reflect on the realities of the twenty-first century, taking into account the challenges that transcend the complex systems within the natural environment and develop an awareness of the interconnectedness of all realities – spiritual, cosmic and existential. Ashar & Lane-Maher (2004) refer to this ‘new global economic order ... [as] built on knowledge, intelligence, and innovation.’
Such a worldview requires contemporary leaders to change the way they think about leadership and management for according to Boyd (2012) this approach to leadership ‘emphasizes individual responsibility, partnership and interdependence, a long term perspective, flow cycles and capacities within organizations, understanding and implementing the principles of natural systems, diversity, co-evolution, harmony with nature, and leading the way toward sustainability for future generations.’
Such leadership is about awareness and responding to the call to leadership. It is about motivating people to change so that they are constantly aware of the need to operate in a sustainable manner in order to minimise any and all impact on the environment. When people are suitably motivated they work together as a team, ‘being effective in today’s organizations is a team game, and without collaboration and teamwork skills, you are unlikely to be successful’ (Blanchard, 2007).
Senge (1996) maintains that leaders must create ‘an environment in which people are open to new ideas, responsive to change, and eager to develop new skills and capabilities. ’Being accountable and recognizing the need for change to sustain viability in the future is what determines responsible stewardship and this value-driven approach doesn’t just happen. Spears (1998) emphasises that ‘You must work with people to give them a new concept of their stewardship and redefine leadership as service and stewardship.’
In the words of Mahatma Gandhi “You must be the change you want to see in the world.’ Sims (1997) states that everyone has a purpose and as members of the “human community, all need to work together for the good of all: ‘There are no observers, only participants. Nobody is ‘on’ the earth as an object; every living entity is ‘in’ the earth as a subject – as part of a vast pulsating, interwoven web of life.”
Stewardship promotes leaders as agents of change. According to Boyd (2012) ‘Just as ecology deals with the relationship of organisms among themselves and to their physical environment, contemporary leadership can be viewed as an ecological system involving the interaction of humans with each other and their more complex environment.’ In this way leaders who promote stewardship will have a cosmic vision and engage in transformative action to mentor and nurture, to facilitate and utilise the talents and gifts of others by empowering them to be the best they can be in their service of stewardship to the global community.