Steward Leadership Starts with You
Steward Leadership starts with leading oneself before leading others, balancing self-leadership and team leadership, and unleashing human potential holistically.
I love the analogy of the “dead fish”. In essence, the idea is that those who go through life without purpose or intention are akin to a dead fish. They simply flow downstream.
What a waste, yet many happily cling to what is normal in fear of what is intentional. Or they simply feel stuck and without the scaffolding to create their own fulfilling, purposeful, intentional lives.
What a strong emotional need. Great organizations create belonging for their people. Belonging in pursuit of something greater than themselves. Belonging with those who are with them, belonging during our short time on this space rock that hurdles through the vast universe.
Hope that the pain, effort, discomfort, and sacrifice of living is not wasted. That our lives matter. That what you do, how you do it, and who you are is worth knowing, loving, respecting, and caring about.
What a strange world we live in, to think that the very gift of our life, our time, our attention is now the commodity that is consistently being mined by a billion people, to be extracted at the lowest possible cost for the highest possible return. Yet we so rarely wake up to the same realization that our attention, our time, our lives are incredibly valuable.
There is a dilemma and story of warning that states that if an AI is given full autonomy and access to resources, with the instructions to create as many paperclips as possible, that it will optimize the earth and its resources to this task up through and to include the elimination of humanity.
Perhaps it will, but are we not at risk of the same? Whether that be for profit? Or for power? Or influence, status, control, security, dominion?
Thank God for checks and balances, for differing opinions, for individual sovereignty.
Just as nations today vie for differing ways of living, so do political parties within those organizations, and businesses, and groups and tribes. The free marketplace of ideas, belief, and resources allow for us to champion and defend, tear down and build up, the future that we want every single day.
Everything, it has everything to do with you, and with us. For the same decision is true of each of us, and our lives.
Are you living intentionally? Are you maximizing your time in pursuit of your best possible self? Are you aiming upward? Are you loved and loving? Do you belong?
Before I work with an organization, I let them know that though I can help them aggressively grow and flip their business, I will not.
I will work with those who want to inject their work with purpose. Align their team to create value, grow aggressively and sustainably, and impact their community positively. I help business owners and leaders create profitable living legacies through their work.
It is amusing to me then (actually, it is infuriating), when I begin to work with an organization, to help them craft their living legacy and bring it to life within the culture, to align the team, and to forge forward accordingly, that when stakeholders then look at me, with a sense of amnesia, and state that it is neat but they care about the profits more that I take offense. I was old enough to remember the radical candor with which we first engaged.
How foolish? The profits are building, but we have embarked on an opportunity to create something more, something enduring, something great. Yet they show their colors and simply want profits more quickly. Even when it contradicts every discussion that we had had up to that point. Even when profitability is growing aggressively year over year. As if they are optimizing for paperclip production alone.
Then they are surprised when I leave. If you only care about the dollar, I am not your man, and my work will not be to your liking.
For the business owner, for the executive, this often comes through their work. But each of us is creating our legacy with each breath we breathe. What is yours?
Mine is my sons. Then it is my bride, the men whose lives I influence, the families whose lives I touch, the community I build, how I spend my time, and how it ripples through eternity (lol).
Aim upward, everything we do and are, is imbued with meaning if only we have the eyes to see it.
When I work with individuals, specifically men, I will not work those who want me to fix them. Fuck off.
Too often neighbors and acquaintances will ask to work out with me, because they see that I am modestly fit, and they are not. My answer for years now has been the same, no.
Now, if you are working to save yourself, if you are intentionally applying disciplined and intentional effort to aim upward, if you are striving to be more, then hell yes, let us forge forward together!
As it is with organizations it is with you, and it is with me.
There is a gap, between who we are, and what we could be.
Whether it is transforming culture and increasing profitability in a business, or identifying ones unique purpose filled path and helping to increase their capacity as a steward leader.
I help those who are working to help themselves close the gap.
P.S. Moment of vulnerability: I am putting myself out there as an act of faith, on a short timeline, to attract the men and organizations that I can help. More specifically, I am working to make it so they can find me, with the hope that intentional, authentic, work such as this helps us to find each other. If this resonates with you, please let me know, and consider spreading the word. Thank you.
