From Servant to Steward: The Leadership Shift That Changes Everything 

I was first exposed to the concept of steward leadership about 15 years ago when I and eight other business leaders spent a day with the now late Kent Wilson, researcher and author of the book Steward Leadership in the Nonprofit Organization and the article “Is Steward Leadership Different than Servant Leadership?” Although his book and article weren’t written yet when we met with him, he shared with us his research and PhD dissertation from which the book and article were based. His work was influenced by his collaboration with other steward leadership pioneers like Robert Clinton and Dr. Scott Rodin.  

That day with Kent Wilson changed my view of leadership forever after. It completed and clarified for me a true picture of leadership that I didn’t know I was longing for until then.  

My conclusion on steward leadership is that it is the most comprehensive leadership model there is. I know that’s a bold statement, but I’ve read, studied, and observed other leadership models and styles and continue to come back to it. No other leadership model is as mature in its approach nor as complete in its scope across all types of organizations, both non-profit and for-profit, as steward leadership.   

The Difference Between Steward Leadership and Servant Leadership 

To best demonstrate the fullness of scope that steward leadership represents, Wilson compared it to the widely accepted servant leadership model, which is more limited in scope. In doing that, he referred to ancient Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Jewish history to understand the true difference between a steward and a servant.  

Today, people may look at those two words as synonymous, but they are actually quite different. 

Defining “Steward” vs. “Servant” 

According to Wilson’s research, a steward in ancient days was trained to oversee the rural farm, a large household, a business, or certain civic duties. They were expected to practice management techniques known at that time. They recognized they were not owners, but rather trustees, of the assets and resources belonging to others. Whereas a servant was focused on taking care of a person or people to whom they served.  

In other words, a steward’s responsibility included a broader scope than a servant. This difference in focus and responsibility between a steward and a servant is the basis of the difference Wilson laid out in his comparison between the two leadership models. Before we look at the comparison, it’s important to understand why servant leadership has become so popular in the last 50 years. 

A Background on Servant Leadership 

Servant leadership was a term first used by Robert Greenleaf in his 1970 essay and later made into a book in 1977.  Servant leadership was a new way of leading that was sorely needed at that time. The main leadership style coming off the Second World War and through the 50s and 60s as corporations grew was a power-based style—one of ‘company first,’ often at the expense and disregard of the employees. This void in team care needed something to fill it, and servant leadership was just that.  

Leading with a servant’s mindset shifted the leader’s main focus to caring for the employees first. Servant leadership caught on quickly and still, to this day 48 years later, is one of the most dominant leadership philosophies around. After all, a well-cared-for and unified team can accomplish great things in any organization.  

Servant Leadership Limitations 

Although Greenleaf’s motives were pure and good, and leading with a servant mindset was refreshing and embraced by many organizations, it stopped short of completing the full picture of leadership, especially in these key areas: organizational growth; asset management; vision casting; and customer, supplier, and investor relationships.  

Servant leadership is noble, but it is incomplete. Servant leadership mainly looks inward to the employees, which is very important, but misses on the full perspective needed to lead the business forward.  

This is where steward leadership steps in and completes the approach. In Wilson’s article, he says, “In comparing the two models, I believe that steward leadership encompasses the best concepts of servant leadership but in a more comprehensive model that better addresses many unique aspects of leadership.”  

Key Steward & Servant Leadership Identifiers 

Wilson’s comparison between the two leadership models. 

	Steward Leadership	Servant Leadership
Strategy	To achieve the objectives of the “owner” by managing the people and resources for growth	To ensure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served, and they develop as persons
Core Identity	Steward	Servant
Leadership Style	Between authoritarian and participative	Participant
Characteristics	Intrinsic; altruism, responsibility, respect for authority	Listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment, community
Primary Action	Lead the organization to accomplish the desires and objectives of stakeholders. Leverage and grow resources.	Serve people’s highest priority needs— “Servant first, leader second”
Leadership Goal	Fulfilled mission and sustainable organization	Empowered follower

In other words, a steward leader protects and grows the assets of an organization in order to meet the owner’s objectives. Or a lengthier summary is a steward leader considers the stakeholder’s needs, casts a vision for how to meet those needs, manages the assets and resources available towards that vision, and empowers and cares for the people making it all happen.  

So many other leadership resources focus on how to be a good leader while steward leadership provides a framework within which those good leaders can lead.  

Putting Steward Leadership into Practice 

What does this mean in real terms for your organization? Let’s consider first the owners and key constituents who have a stake in your organization, of whom you as a steward leader must understand: 

• Your stockholders and investors (actual owners) 
• Your board of directors 
• Your people/teammates, your customers, and your suppliers 
• For a school or non-profit – your students or clients, parents, donors 
• For a government entity – your voters, neighborhoods 
• Your community 
• Yourself as a leader 
• And for some faith-based organizations – God 

Now let’s consider what needs those owners and constituents have that you must understand well: 

• Your organization’s mission and vision 
• Growth and profitability goals 
• Key metrics and strategic goals 
• Stability and diversification goals 
• Leadership development and succession planning 
• Many other organizational interests 

And finally, let’s consider examples of real assets that need to be protected and grown: 

• Your people and teams within the organization, including their talent, skills, and relationships 
• Unique opportunities you or your organization have 
• Your organization’s brand in the marketplace and community 
• Your machines, equipment, and buildings 
• Your customers’ money, projects, trust, and expectations 
• Your intellectual property 
• Your strategic plan 
• Your organization’s culture 
• Your supply base’s capabilities 

You can begin to see how steward leadership encompasses the full picture of what you are leading (people, assets), for whom you are leading (owners/constituents), and why you are leading (to achieve mission, objectives, goals, etc.).  Whether you are a president, executive director, department leader, a project leader, or a leader of self, take some time to list out your answers to these three areas of responsibility for a steward leader and start to follow this script: 

Steward Leadership at DISHER 

At DISHER, we’ve implemented steward leadership as our leadership model. In doing so, we’ve not lost any of the team care benefits of servant leadership, but we’ve gained a complete approach to leadership that leaves nothing out.  

Our two foundational virtues of a steward leader at DISHER are Humility and Vision. Why did we pick those two as foundational? Humility allows you to recognize your role as a steward/trustee and allows you to focus on others before yourself. And Vision keeps everyone pointed forward towards the objectives and goals of the owners and other constituents.  Without clarity of vision, your team will likely flounder in their attempts to move forward. 

As I reflect on my journey as both a leader and owner of a business, I’ve realized that leading with a steward’s mindset holds me way more accountable to all our key constituents and the results they expect than leading merely with an owner’s mindset. The discipline and responsibility required of a steward leader is what builds value at all levels: financially, culturally, and relationally. Begin leading your area of responsibility as a steward leader and watch your span of influence have a greater impact than ever before.