Often thought of in biblical terms, the stewardship definition also plays a critical role in today’s business environment. In the world of commerce, stewardship refers to taking responsibility for the business and the effects it has on the world around it. This involves considering more than just the bottom line and looking at elements such as values, ethics and morals. Stewardship examples include corporate stewardship, environmental stewardship and service-oriented stewardship.

A common definition of a steward is a person that is given full responsibility for the valuables of another.

CHOOSING SERVICE OVER SELF-INTEREST

The willingness to be accountable for the well-being of an organization by operating in service, rather than in control.

Stewardship, backed by wisdom, is conducive to a service mindset. Leadership alone is less likely to invoke cooperation and collaboration. However, for the small to medium-sized business, this is often viewed as too ethereal to be helpful in meeting day-to-day needs to survive and thrive.

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