The following is from "Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest," by Peter Block.Stewardship asks us to be deeply accountable for the outcomes of an institution, without acting to define purpose for others, control others, or take care of others. Stewardship can be most simply defined as giving order to the dispersion of power.
Empowerment embodies the belief that the answer to the latest crisis lies within each of us and therefore we all buckle up for adventure.
We are reluctant to let go of the belief that if I am to care for something I must control it.
People who leave their minds at home and bring their bodies to work will destroy us...what is difficult is that we need commitment from people when we can no longer off them much security.
We need to create a workplace that evokes commitment that is not based on false promise.
Setting goals for people, defining the measures of progress toward those goals, and then rewarding them does not honor their capabilities. In its most benign form, our control becomes some variation of supervision by a loving parent. Stewardship asks us to serve our organizations and be accountable to them without caretaking and without taking control.
